


Animal Calls

by super_nerdy



Series: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15821454 [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 08:00:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 24,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15814770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/super_nerdy/pseuds/super_nerdy
Summary: Part of the Supernova Challenge: Artwork for this fic done by DitchingNarnia.Set during season 4B: When Regina and Emma try a spell to banish the new villains in town, things do not go as planned, resulting in a rather odd problem for Emma. Now Regina and the other heroes must find a way to reverse the spell, but the villains have a plan of their own brewing...In the Enchanted Forest (Flashbacks): Rumple gives Regina a gift to help get the revenge on Snow White that she desperately craves.





	1. The Broken Vial

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DitchingNarnia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DitchingNarnia/gifts).



“Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.”– Orhan Pamuk

 

Regina's vault was not something to take lightly. In every corner and every crevice of the hidden sanctuary there was a relic from the Enchanted Forest. But unlike Gold’s shop, every single item inside was dangerous. There were scrolls with long forgotten spells, cursed or enchanted artifacts, vials of potions, and a great manner of other worrisome objects that could cause quite a lot trouble. That's why Emma planned to keep her hands to herself and not touch ANYTHING unless Regina said otherwise. 

As they descended the stairs, Emma still wondered what in Regina's vault could possibly be used to protect the town against their latest threat, and why Regina needed her help. Everything in here, she thought, is a remnant of the person Regina used to be- the vengeful Evil Queen. How could any of these things, even with the best intentions, be used for good? 

Once they reached the bottom step Emma’s curiosity could not wait any longer, and so, as she shoved her hands in her back pockets, she asked the same question aloud. 

“So what's going on Regina?” she blurted out, her eyes scanning over all the different things in the vault. Regina flicked her hair off to the side and let out an exasperated sigh, as though it were so trivial even a child could understand. 

“I found a very powerful banishing spell in my mother's spellbook last night. I should have everything I need in here, but it's a very difficult spell. It requires at least two people to complete.” She replied as she held different vials up to the light. Emma wondered what she was checking for when she did this- was she checking the color? The contents of the bottle? She asked Regina if there was anything she could do to help at this point, but Regina said no. 

“This part of the spell is very tricky. If the ingredients aren't mixed just right it could be a disaster. Just stand over there and Don't. Touch. Anything.” Regina said, locking her eyes with Emma’s. Emma raised her hands and mumbled ‘okay’, then found a spot in the corner of the vault out of her way. She watched as Regina poured different liquids and threw several plants into her small cauldron. It smelled terrible, but if this spell did manage to get rid of Cruella, Maleficent and Ursula then Emma could care less. 

The only problem was it was taking forever to do. Emma was getting extremely bored, and since Regina needed absolute focus she couldn't exactly watch something on her phone- too much noise. She began to look around again, her eyes landing on the shelves of vials Regina had been searching before. She picked up one of the small vials and tried to read the old parchment label, but it was too worn. She pulled the cork at the top and smelled the contents. She recoiled from the awful scent that hit her, and quickly put the cork back on. She then held the vial up to the light, letting it shine through the glass bottle and show the color of the liquid. It was a very dark purple- so dark it was almost black. She stared at it, watching the way the light danced around the ceiling as it hit glass. Before she realized what happened the vial slipped from her hand, falling fast to the ground. Emma tried to catch it, but the vial shattered at her feet. All at once the liquid turned into a dark purple smoke that swirled around her and swallowed her whole. Emma heard Regina shout her name, and then it was dark. 

* * * *

“Emma!” Regina shouted, setting the vials in her hands down. She saw the cloud of people smoke that surrounded her, but before she could move to help the cloud disappeared. Regina stepped towards the spot where Emma had been, and found her clothes in a heap on the floor. Regina gasped and looked away, fearing that her close friend was now dead. Suddenly she heard a rustling and then a small whimper, and when she looked back to the pile of clothes they were moving! The whimpering continued, followed by the least intimidating growl Regina had ever heard. Regina reached over and moved the leather jacket aside, jumping back from shock. 

A small golden retriever puppy was staring back at her, shaking its floppy ears and wagging its tail. Regina leaned in closer to the puppy, raising an eyebrow. 

“...Emma?” She said skeptically. She barked in response, walking up to Regina and placing a small paw on her knee. Regina’s mouth fell open as she stared down her. Emma Swan, the sheriff puppy.


	2. "We have an even bigger problem"

Regina walked quickly, clutching her purse to her body. Emma whimpered from inside, but Regina gave her a curt ‘Shh!’ before unlocking her car door. She didn’t know where Rumple and the others were, but if her gut feeling told her anything it’s that she was being watched. She hadn’t felt this way when she arrived at her vault, but she certainly felt it now.

I guess Emma’s not the only one with a superpower.

She scanned the expanse of trees that surrounded the far edges of the plot; she found no one. But she knew they were there, hidden from her. It’s what she would do if the roles were reversed. She took her now rather heavy purse off her shoulder and climbed in the car, tossing her purse as casually (and as gently) as possible into the passenger seat. She heard a small sneeze come from the purse and suppressed the urge to smile at how cute it sounded.

Once Regina was out of the cemetery and driving towards home, Emma began to vocalize her frustration once again. She opened the top of the purse so Emma could move about, and as she did so, Regina began the lecture she had been preparing ever since Emma was enveloped in smoke. She kept her eyes forward and tried not to look over at the seat just in case someone was following them.

“Emma, how many times do I have to tell you not to touch ANYTHING in my vault! Do you think I said that just because I felt like it? There’s a reason that all of those things are down there- they are very old, very dangerous pieces of magic that are volatile in even the most skilled hands, and they- are you even listening to me?!” She shouted, glancing over to the passenger seat. Emma was rummaging about Regina’s purse with her fuzzy snout- she found a tube of lipstick and began to play with it as though it were the most fascinating thing in the world. Regina groaned in anger, then reached over and grabbed the lipstick bottle. She quickly tossed it in the glove compartment and away from Emma’s playful paws, slamming the compartment door shut. Emma let out a huff, and Regina shook her head.

“Stop playing and listen to me! If I tell you something is dangerous then you damn well listen to my warning and stay away from it. You’re even worse than Henry was as a child.” Regina said, remembering the numerous times she had to lecture Henry about safety (most of these instances occurring because he wanted to be a superhero.) She continued. “If your childlike ignorance gets the better of you, then restrain yourself. We are trying to stop Rumple and the other members of the Deadbeat Club from going through with their plans- plans which we still don’t know by the way! We don’t have time to try and figure out how to change you back. . . if we can at all.” Regina got silent for a moment and shook her head. She could feel Emma’s large, soft eyes on her. She sighed, loosening her tight grip on the steering wheel. 

“We’ll find a way, I promise. But next time listen to my instructions. I don’t care if it was interesting and you were bored. Magic is powerful, but it’s dangerous when you don’t know what you’re doing.” Emma nodded, her floppy ears waving about as she moved. Regina smirked.

After a few more minutes of driving Regina pulled into her driveway. She quickly shoved Emma back into her purse and headed for the door. She rushed inside and closed the door behind her, letting out a small sigh of relief at being home. Snow and Charming came out of the living room and met her in the foyer, both wearing looks of concern.

“Regina, what’s going on? Why did you want us to meet you?” Snow asked. Regina had them follow her back to the living room as she explained.

“We’ve had a bit of a setback.” She replied.

“What kind of a setback? Regina, Ruby has been following Rumple all day, and she saw him carrying something into the shop. She said the way he was guarding it, he acted like it was even more important than his dagger. Whatever it is, it doesn’t look good.” David added.

“Right now, we have an even bigger problem.” Snow and David exchanged a worried look before Regina took her purse off her shoulder and set it on the couch. She opened the purse again, and Emma’s head popped up through the opening. They both exchanged a look of utter confusion before continuing.

“Regina, why do you have a puppy in your purse?” Snow asked as she raised an eyebrow. Regina opened her mouth to answer, but suddenly they heard a noise from upstairs, followed by Henry letting out a small ‘ouch!’ before he started heading down the stairs. Regina shook her head at Snow and David.

“I thought I asked you guys to leave him at the loft?” Regina asked, annoyed that they too had not followed her specific instructions. Clearly Emma’s knack of not listening to instructions came from both parents. Henry came down the stairs and into the living room before another word could be said. He looked surprised at their presence but greeted them anyway.

“Hey guys.” He said, giving a small wave of his hand.

“Henry, I thought you were going to help Snow and David fix some things in the loft today?” Regina asked, trying to keep Emma hidden. Henry shrugged.

“I was, but while we were working on the kitchen sink he got a text and said they had to go. They told me to stay there but I forgot my phone, so I came to get it.” He replied. Emma sneezed again, and Henry looked around his mother to see the source of the noise.

“Oh my god, you got me a dog?!” Henry said with joy. He instantly went around his mother to get a closer look at the little puppy sitting on the furniture (which his mother often stated was one of the many reasons why they could NEVER get a dog!). Henry started to scratch Emma underneath the chin, making her tail wag excitedly.

“I knew something was up when they left earlier, but I thought it was something bad!” He said, starting to play with the puppy. He continued. “I thought the Xbox you got me last week was cool, but this is a way better birthday present!” Henry picked up Emma and held her in his arms, gently bouncing her as though she were a baby.

“Henry, it’s not- “

“Thank you so much mom!” He said as he hugged Regina, cutting her off. Emma let out a small grunt at being sandwiched in between them, and Henry apologized to the pup before he began to bounce her again.

“I think I’ll name him Lucky, no Finn! Wait, is it a boy or a girl?”

“Henry, this isn’t what you think.” Regina answered.

“What do you mean?” He asked, setting Emma down on the couch.

“Regina, what is it?” Snow added. Regina sighed. Emma began to bark- a small little squeak that was too cute to believe, but she got her point across. They all turned to look at the puppy and found her pulling her badge out of Regina’s purse. She dug it out and sat there on the couch, holding the identification in her tiny mouth. David took the badge out of her mouth and Emma wagged her tail with excitement- they would understand that. They had to understand what that meant! David stared at the badge, and then looked up at Regina.

“Please tell me that’s not who I think it is.” David said, pointing at the puppy. Regina pursed her lips and nodded.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” She said, “That puppy. . . is Emma.”


	3. Emma. . .a puppy?

“What the hell, Regina?!” David said. “I thought you were supposed to be doing something to protect us from Rumple and the others, not experimenting with spells!”

“This wasn’t my plan David! Do you really think I would have asked Emma to meet me at my vault so that I could turn her into a mutt?! What possible good would that do?” Regina shouted. Snow stepped in, trying to calm them both.

“I think what David is trying to say is how did this happen?” Snow asked. Regina sighed to calm herself down, glancing over at Emma. Henry was sitting next to her, his arm wrapped around her protectively.

“I asked Emma to meet me in my vault- I found this banishing spell buried in my mother’s spell book and it requires two people to complete. I told her VERY CLEARLY not to touch anything, but like always, she decided to ignore me and do something stupid.” She finished. Emma growled at Regina’s ‘stupid’ comment, and Regina leaned over to look directly at Emma.

“Don’t growl at me! I’m not the one who decided to play Scooby Doo when I should’ve been paying attention!”

“What’d she do?” Henry asked.

“She picked up a vial of a transforming potion I have- had. I was so focused on putting together the ingredients for the spell that I didn’t even see her playing with it. I didn’t realize that something happened until I heard the glass break, and by then she was clouded in smoke. By the time I got to her, she was like this.” Regina finished, putting her hands on her hips. Snow went to the couch and sat down next to Emma, who immediately climbed into her mother’s lap. Snow stroked her head softly, making Emma yawn and curl up into a ball. Snow looked back up at Regina.

“There must be a way to reverse this, isn’t there? Can’t you just change her back?”

“If I could just change her back then I wouldn’t have brought her here and told you that we have a ‘bigger problem’.” Regina responded.

“But why did it turn her into a dog? Why not any other animal?” Henry asked.

“I’m not sure, Henry, this potion is extremely powerful. It's unpredictable- it doesn’t just wear off on its own.”

“Have you ever used it?” Henry continued.

“Yes, but I had this little gold ribbon that I wore when I took the potion; it protected me. It allowed me to choose the form of animal I wanted to be, and made it so that I could change back into a human or into another animal whenever I wanted to. But Emma didn’t have that when she broke the bottle. The only reason I can think of is she happened to be thinking about dogs when the vial broke.” Regina answered. Snow furrowed her brows, lost in thought.

“How long do we have?” David asked.

“I’m not sure- this sort of spell affects everyone a little differently, although she ended up getting way too much. I really don't know how much time we have; we have to change her back as soon as possible. Without a charm, the potion will start to affect her more and more.” Regina answered.

“How so?” David continued.

"When I took it I only needed one drop, and this potion is meant to be mixed in with something you ingest. She spilled the entire bottle on herself, so that already sped up the process quite a bit. And without a charm to help preserve her memories she’s going to start acting more like a dog; she’ll remember less of her time as a human. Eventually, we won’t be able to turn her back.”

“So you’re saying that she’ll be stuck as a dog forever?” Henry said in disbelief. Regina nodded and crossed over to the couch, kneeling in front of him. She put her hand on his shoulder and made him look up at her.

“But I’m not going to let that happen. I promise.” Regina said. Henry nodded, giving her a small smile.

“So what do we do?” David spoke, sitting down next to Snow. Regina stood and brushed off her skirt, frowning at the dog hair that had accumulated so quickly.

“For now just stay here, and don’t tell anyone about this. Who knows what trouble Emma could find herself in if the wrong people found out. I’m going back to my vault to see if I can find something there. You keep her under control- I don’t want to come home to half-eaten shoes or muddy paw prints all over the floor.” Regina said as she grabbed her purse and walked away. She heard Emma bark after her, probably in response to her comments. She smiled at it, thinking that this might be a little fun.

 

* * * * * * * * *

They heard Regina close the door behind her as she headed out to her car. Snow continued to pet Emma, but she stared off to nowhere, lost in thought. David put a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back to the present.

“Snow, are you okay?” He asked, slightly concerned. She waved her hand dismissively, giving him a small smile.

“Yeah, I was just thinking.” She replied, starting to trail off again.

“About what?” Henry inquired.

“Just something Regina said about that ribbon… I don’t know. It’s probably nothing.” She shrugged, ending it. Henry and David didn’t ask again, figuring that the matter was settled. They took Emma to the kitchen to eat, but Snow stayed behind. Her memory was hazy, but she could swear she remembered a black fox in her past. And she could swear that fox had a little gold ribbon….


	4. A New Plan for Revenge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here on out, the chapters will alternate between the Enchanted Forest (in the past) and present day Storybrooke. Enjoy!

Regina paced the palace floor, her footsteps echoing ominously through the empty halls. She was growing impatient- she wanted Snow White’s heart in a box now. One of the royal guards lay dead at the door, a reminder of how explosive her temper could be. Especially on this day. She could feel tears starting to form, but she held them back. She would not cry; she would not allow herself to.

Tears are a sign of weakness. Her mother’s voice echoed in her mind as she clutched the back of her vanity chair for dear life. That was what she always told her. Cora would never allow her to show any weakness, no matter what. She told Regina this the day she first fell off Rocinante and broke her wrist at age seven, and again when she was ten and she found a small bird dead below the apple tree in the palace garden. And then of course, the night that Daniel-

No! She forced the memory back, pushing herself away from the chair and clenching her hands into tight fists. The chair rattled her vanity and sent one of her vials toppling to the floor where it shattered. She grabbed her goblet of wine as she stormed away to the balcony and the starlit sky beyond. This was all her fault, that little bitch. If only she had been able to keep her mouth shut. If only she could crush Snow’s heart in her hands. If only her and Daniel had been able to run away together. If only….

She sighed and stared out into the night, taking a sip of her wine. The dark red drink had a more bitter taste than what she preferred, but for the moment she rather enjoyed it. She sighed again, her body starting to shake from the sobs she kept inside. She closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the feeling of the cool breeze that brought with it the faint scent of the ocean. She wished she could get on one of those sailing ships and float away, leaving the palace and her title behind. She imagined what her life would be if she could find a way to escape this hell she was trapped in.

“How appropriate. It's dark and bitter, rather like yourself.” Rumple’s impish voice called from the other side of the room, making her eyes snap open. There was a time when she would’ve jumped at his sudden presence, but she simply turned on her heel to face him with a glare. Couldn’t he just give her a moment’s peace? She turned to find him leaning against the chair of her vanity, his arms crossed and eyes deceitful.

“Leave.” She said with a growl; she had absolutely no patience to deal with whatever he had planned. Rumple giggled, making her roll her eyes. He strolled up to her, running his eyes over her.

“You certainly have a fire in you today.” He said, his curly hair falling into his eyes.

“Shouldn’t you be off somewhere making deals for someone’s first born child?” Regina replied with snark. She took another sip of wine, hiding the smirk that tugged at the corner of her lips. She was rather pleased herself for that remark. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know why I’m here?” He asked enticingly.

“No. I’m not in the mood for you or whatever silly little game you want to play, so I suggest you leave now. Before I show you the real fire inside of me.” Regina replied, forming a fireball in her hand. Rumple chuckled, shaking his head at her. He waved his hand and her fireball disappeared, the only sign left of its existence were the soft trails of smoke that drifted from Regina’s hand towards the sky. She glanced down at her now empty hand and sneered, clenching it into a tight fist.

“If you want to get rid of me dearie, you’ll have to try a lot harder than that.” He smiled coyly as he pointed at her hand with a scaly finger. It was remarkable how quickly he could make Regina’s blood boil. He fixed the sleeves of his coat as though he had nothing else to do. Regina groaned.

“Fine. Why are you here?” She demanded of the annoying little goblin.

“I’m here for your anniversary, of course.” He replied. Regina glared at him.

“What anniversary?” She asked.

“The one that matters. No, not your marriage to Leopold,” he added when he saw Regina’s scowl, “this day is far more important. Today is the day that your mother brutally ripped out Daniel’s heart and crushed it right in front of you, is it not?” He asked. Regina glared with a malice that likely would’ve made Rumple’s blood run cold- if he were anyone else. But he simply grinned.

“Get out.” She responded flatly, brushing past him. That was exactly the kind of reaction he hoped to elicit from her- anger. He strolled up to her, pleased with himself.

“It is, isn’t it?” he asked, feigning shock. Her chest heaved with fury, she wanted nothing more in that moment than to obliterate him. She glowered at him and spoke low, their faces only inches from each other.

“Rumple I swear, if you don’t leave now I will rip your throat out!” She seethed, tiny beads of saliva landing on his shirt. He still held that coy grin as he wiped the spit away with the back of his hand. He started to walk away from her with a confident stride, speaking to her over his shoulder.

“And how exactly do you plan to do that? With your magic? Because it’s obvious that you are no match for m- “

“To hell with magic! I’ll do it with my bare hands!” She shouted as she charged him, raising her trembling hand to Rumple's neck. Her eyes burned with a fierce hatred. Rumple was so excited at her outburst- he hit just the right nerve. Check mate.

“Now there’s the spark that I wanted to see! For a moment there, I was worried it had gone out.” She slowly lowered her hand, still staring at this conniving pest. Rumple smiled wickedly as he continued. “As it’s an anniversary, I brought you a gift.” He said.

“I have no interest in your gifts.” She replied.

“Oh, I rather think you’ll want this.” He said, scrunching his nose as he smirked. With a little puff of smoke a small glass vial appeared in his hand. Regina looked closer at the bottle- the liquid inside was a deep purple.

“This is a transformation potion,” Rumple continued, sensing Regina’s curiosity, “with it you can become any animal your heart desires.” Regina scoffed.

“Why in the hell would I want to become a flea bitten, disease spreading animal?” She asked rhetorically.

“Well for starters, you could turn yourself into a bird and fly far away from here, to a place where no one knows you as ‘The Evil Queen’.” He began, pacing around her slowly. “Or you could turn into a horse and run through the forest to your heart’s content. You could turn into a giant, fire breathing dragon that can burn anything within sight to the ground. Or,” He said as he inched closer, so close that he was whispering in her ear, “you could turn into an animal that Snow would let close to herself. An animal she would come to trust. And then, when the time was right, you could kill her before she ever discovered who you were.” He finished with a giggle. And just like that Regina was entranced; she wanted to do this. She was finally going to have her revenge. She turned to face him, her eyes alight with malicious glee.

“So, what’s the price?” She asked with a raised brow.

“Like I said, this one is a gift.” He said, placing the vial in her hand. She looked down at the vial that would be her salvation. Snow would finally die at her hands. Already she was concocting the perfect plan- the animal she would become, the way she would watch her from the shadows. She looked up at him, opening the bottle. The potion was very strong, the pungent aroma stinging her nose. She grimaced at the scent. 

“How do I use it?” She asked.

“Just pour a drop in something- your wine, perhaps- and drink.” He replied, pointing to the goblet in her hand.

“How do I choose the animal I wish to become?” She asked. With another poof, Rumple made a golden ribbon appear in his hand. He gave it to her, and as he placed it in her hand she noticed how soft it was. The color was absolutely beautiful- it appeared to be spun from real gold.

“Tie this to yourself. It will allow you to choose what form you take, and to change back at your own will. Just picture the animal in your mind.” Regina used her magic to fasten the ribbon to her upper arm just below the shoulder. She then did as Rumple instructed and poured one small drop into her wine goblet. She grimaced at the drink, which now bubbled, and began to gulp it down quickly. It tasted horrible, but she forced herself to finish it all. As soon as she swallowed the last drop she could feel her body changing. It was painful to say the least, but she enjoyed the feeling. She knew that this pain was the start to Snow’s undoing, and she was going to revel in it. Regina sank to her hands and knees, watching in awe as her hands began to change form. The transformation was almost complete when Rumple spoke again.

“Oh, one tiny little thing I forgot to mention- the ribbon also helps you maintain a part of your humanity. Without it, you can’t change back into your human form- you will be stuck as an animal. The longer you are an animal, the more you begin to act like that animal. Pretty soon you’ll forget that you were ever human at all.” He said, then leaned close to Regina’s ear.

“So, don’t lose the ribbon.” He warned. Before she could reply she was enveloped in a cloud of smoke. When the cloud dissipated she looked down at her hands, which were now velvety black paws. Just as she had hoped, she turned into a beautiful black fox. She spun around slowly to look at her bushy tail, then hopped up onto her vanity to stare at her reflection.

She was breathtaking. Her body was long and sleek, and she had to admit that if she saw a fox like this in the forest, she would want to befriend it, too. Her fur was a dark black, except for the soft spattering of white around her stunning golden eyes. Her ears were large and looked very soft, as did the rest of her fur. She turned, seeing the same spattering of white on her lower back drifting down towards her tail. Her tail itself was very bushy and dark black until the very tip, which was completely white. She opened her mouth, staring at the fangs that she now had. She licked at them with her pink tongue.

She doesn’t stand a chance. She smiled, the corner of her black lips curling upwards. She noticed then her senses were incredibly heightened. Her sense of smell, her sight, and her hearing were all vastly improved. She looked at Rumple, who was smiling at her.

“A fox, not quite the animal I thought you’d go for. Tell me, how exactly do you plan to leave the castle without being hunted down and killed by your own guards? You have commanded them to kill anyone or anything that attempts to enter your castle without your permission. Sometimes even then, too.” Regina furrowed her brows- she hadn’t thought of that either. However, she quickly came to a solution and looked up at Rumple.

“I’ll simply tell them that I am their Queen, and if they touch a hair on my body I will rip them to shreds with my teeth.” She said calmly.

“Yes, well seeing as I’m the only one who can understand you, I don’t think that’s going to work.” He replied. She cocked her head to one side as he continued. “You can’t speak, at least not like a human. The only sounds you’ll be able to make are that of the animal whose form you’ve taken.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that before?!” She shouted, stomping a paw onto the vanity. 

“I thought it was obvious. I said the ribbon allows you to maintain a part of your humanity, not all of it. Talking is one of those annoying human traits, after all.” He replied. She groaned and shook her head, making him giggle. This was going to be a frustrating experience. But the thought of Snow White laying dead at her feet cemented her resolve.

“Am I able change from one animal into another?” She asked.

“As long as you have that,” he said as pointed at the ribbon on her arm, “you can become whatever you like at any time.” Regina nodded; that was all she needed to know. She quickly thought of another animal- a raven. She changed into the bird’s form even more quickly than she had changed into the fox, and as she spread her wings she saw that the ribbon had transformed itself into a golden feather that was a bright star against the sea of black. She flapped her wings and glided to the ledge of the balcony as a test. Her landing was a little clumsy, but she made it. She thought about what Rumple said before- she imagined flying to a far-off place where a great, warm welcome would be waiting for her. But the memory of Daniel’s kind and gentle face reminded her of her goal. She knew what she had to do, and she what she truly wanted. She spread her wings once more and leapt from the balcony, feeling the rush of the wind beneath her wings and against her face. She flew towards the forest in the cover of night, shrouded in darkness. It was finally time; she was finally going to get the revenge she so desperately craved. It was just a matter of time. . . .


	5. The Villains

Regina walked down the steps of her home towards her car. She wrapped her arms around herself as she shivered from the bitter cold wind that came in from the bay. Autumn had just begun, and with it the warmth of summer had died away. The trees all around Storybrooke were turning into a myriad of stunning reds, oranges, and yellows. The sky had already gone from its usual shimmering blue to a foreboding grey, telling of the snowfall that was soon to some.  
She marched quickly to her car and retrieved her keys from her purse. Just as she was about to unlock the car door when Rumple and Maleficent appeared around the corner, headed directly for her. Regina glanced up when she caught them out of the corner of her eye and sighed with annoyance.

'This is the last thing I need right now.' She thought. She turned to face them and tossed a rather spiteful look their way as they drew closer. The breeze picked up once again and carried the scent of Maleficent’s perfume to Regina’s nose. She smelled of jasmine and citrus, and it instinctively made Regina’s mouth water. She remembered the nights she often spent by her old friend’s side, the way she could make Regina beg for more, the insatiable hunger that she had awoken in her at a time when she thought she would never feel that way again. Her mind flashed to those moments and images flooded her thoughts. Fingers wrapping around hair and pulling it playfully, limbs entangled between sheets of silk, fingernails digging into each other’s backs, the sensual biting, the gasps of ecstasy, the smirk of satisfaction. It made Regina blush to remember. She bit her lip and tried to focus on anything but the way Maleficent looked in her power suit. The sight of her just made Regina want to have her right there in her car, but she pushed those thoughts away. She was good now, and Maleficent was still a villain. She was going to do the right thing. . . no matter how tempting the alternative.

“Regina, it seems we caught you at an opportune moment.” Rumple said, breaking the silence. Maleficent still watched Regina with those bewitching eyes. She glanced between them and shook her head, acting nonchalant.

“Actually, I was just about to leave.” She responded as she opened her car door.

“Why are you in such a hurry?” Maleficent purred, quirking her eyebrow. The action was one of intrigue, and seduction. Maleficent knew how to pull her in, and she played her hand well. She watched Regina gulp and then lick her lips instinctively. She probably didn’t even realize she was doing it, Maleficent surmised. She smirked at her old protégé, her red lips driving Regina wild. Regina ran her fingers through her hair as the wind bounced it around playfully. Maleficent’s eyes roamed her body- it appeared that Regina wasn’t the only one becoming aroused.

“I have to get to my vault- I have a feeling that Emma or one of her idiot parents tried to break in earlier.” She replied with fake indignation. She knew she needed their complete trust to find out their plan, and to gain that trust she had to follow along with whatever test they planned to put her through. But right now, time was crucial. Rumple furrowed his brows.

“If that’s the case, then why are Snow and Charming inside?” He asked, pointing at her mansion. Regina felt herself pale slightly, but she quickly recovered.

“I thought for the time being that it would be smarter to have them as an ally. As far as they’re concerned, I’m trying to become the person Henry wants me to be.” She responded. 

“You sure you’re not playing both teams, Regina?” Maleficent asked, her words holding two meanings. It was Regina’s turn to quirk her brow playfully. Two could play this game.

“Do you want me to prove to you just how much of a bad girl I still am?” She asked with a smirk, letting her eyes travel up and down over Maleficent’s striking form. Maleficent chuckled coyly, but Rumple stepped in before their banter could continue.

“If you two are done, we have a much more pressing matter to attend to.” Rumpled interjected, his tone somewhat harsh.

“What pressing matter?” Regina asked.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” Rumple responded. He waved his hand and before she could react, Regina was unconscious. She fell to ground in a heap, and just as quickly the three of them were transported to their secluded cabin hidden within the forest.

* * * * * * * * *

Regina woke to find herself lying on a soft couch underneath the window of the cabin, the soft sunlight slipping in as the curtain fluttered with the wind. Once her mind started to remember what had last happened she sat up quickly, instantly regretting it. Her head throbbed as though she had been hit by a train, and she groaned as she placed a hand to her forehead. She winced while her eyes started to adjust to the dim light in the room, and as they did so she began to make out the faces of those around her. Maleficent and Ursula were the closest, sitting in small wooden dining chairs near the couch. Maleficent’s legs were crossed, and Regina loved the way her pencil skirt slid up, revealing the black stockings that accentuated her long legs.

'I remember when she used to wrap those legs around my-' Regina’s thought was interrupted when she heard someone from the other side of the room step closer. She whipped her head around towards the source of the noise and winced again as another twinge of pain bolted up her neck to her head.

“Well, look who’s finally awake.” Cruella mused with mock concern. Regina rolled her eyes as Cruella sauntered towards the couch. Cruella’s eyes locked onto her own, searching Regina for something. Regina glared up at her, determined to prove herself. Rumple leaned against the doorframe on the other side of the room, watching silently.

“You smell like a dog.” Cruella spoke, her eyes narrowing.

“You don’t smell so great, yourself.” Regina fired back. When Cruella didn’t back off, she shrugged.

“If I wanted them to trust me I had to at least act like I was trying to become good. They wanted me to go speak to the cricket so I could try to ‘resolve some of my issues’. His damn dog wouldn’t leave me alone.” She said as she ran her fingers through her hair. She continued, changing the subject. “Why do you keep putting me to sleep? Didn’t I prove myself enough when I took balsa boy?” She asked. Kidnapping Pinocchio was test enough- she didn’t want to face an even more painful task, like killing one of the heroes she now called her friends.

“No, actually you haven’t.” Rumpled answered. He stepped forwards, leaning on his cane. “You haven’t proven to any of us that you can really be trusted. How do we know you aren’t spying on us right now?” Regina’s icy glare shot to him and she squared her shoulders, ignoring the pain.

“If I were on their side, then why would I be trying to cast a banishing spell to get rid of Snow and Charming and all those other annoying pests?”

“Banishing spell?” Ursula echoed. Regina nodded.

“Some of the ingredients are still in my bag.” She added, hoping they’d take the bait. Cruella grabbed her purse and dug through it, pulling out a few vials and some plants that had been thrown in there earlier that morning. Cruella handed them to Rumple, who looked closely at the ingredients before turning his attention back to her.

“This is a powerful spell you were trying to cast. Judging by some of the ingredients here, I’d say it’s one that requires at least two people to complete.” Rumple replied, setting the rest of the items down on the table next to her purse. He turned back to Regina, who was swinging her legs over the side of the couch to sit up. Maleficent conjured an icepack and handed to Regina, who took it with a small smile. Regina allowed her fingertips to graze against the soft skin on Maleficent’s hand, and she watched with satisfaction as Maleficent smirked at her. Rumple stood in front of Regina and rested his hands upon his cane.

“Just how did you plan on casting it?” He asked.

“I was hoping to get your help. With Snow and the others gone it’ll be easy to take this town for ourselves.” She replied as she pressed the ice pack against the back of her neck. Rumple scoffed.

“We have something much more. . . permanent plan in mind.” He said, and Regina felt her heart skip a beat. Permanent? What the hell did that mean?

“What’s the plan?” She asked him with a smirk, trying to play it cool. He simple smirked back at her.

“You don’t need to worry about that for now. Right now, you need to convince us that you’re truly on our side.”

“What do I have to do to prove it?” She asked him. Rumple glanced up at the others, and then back to her.

“We want you to steal the Blue Fairy’s wand.” He answered. Regina’s eyed widened.

“That wand is the most securely guarded magical object in Storybrooke. It’s going to be almost impossible to get a hold of.” Regina responded. She was in shock- how in the hell was she going to get to that wand? Cruella chuckled haughtily from the other side of the table as she stepped closer.

“I told you she wouldn’t have the nerve. She’s gone soft.” Cruella said, leaning in closely to Regina’s face. Regina sneered.

“Watch yourself, Cujo.” Regina growled. She turned her attention to Rumple, who seemed to be enjoying the quarrel between them. She stood and looked him straight in the eye.

“I’ll do it.”

“I’m sure you will.” He replied almost sarcastically as he turned away from her. Regina was enveloped in smoke, and suddenly she was back in front of her car just as she had been when they found her. She wasn’t much sure how much time had passed, but when she pulled out her phone she found that had been with the villains for over an hour. She knew she needed to get back to her vault to find a cure for Emma, but right now she had to tell Snow and Charming what happened, and what they wanted her to do. She walked back up the steps of her home, shaking her head. This was not going to be easy- finding a reversal spell for Emma, stealing the Blue Fairy’s wand, pretending to be evil, withstanding Maleficent’s seduction. . . 

'I wish I were the one stuck as a dog.'


	6. Dangers in the Forest

Regina landed on the lowest branch she could find, exhausted from her long flight. She had been hovering above the forest all night in the hope of seeing Snow running through the trees, but there was no sign of her at all. And so, as the first rays of dawn began to peek over the horizon, Regina dove in through the canopy and settled down on a somewhat comfortable looking branch. She tried to get settled enough to fall asleep, but she imagined Snow walking by right below her tree while she rested and letting her slip from her grasp. That was enough to stir that spark in her, and she glided from the branch to the ground. Once there she changed back into the black fox that she had been before. She glanced at her arm to make sure the ribbon was still secure (it was), and began to trot through the forest. She could smell smoke and food- there was a village nearby. Snow White could be there, and those peasants could be protecting her! Her eyes scanned the scenery ahead of her for any sign of life, but she saw nothing except trees. 

SNAP!

The sound startled her, and she turned to find a man, a peasant from the village no doubt, inching his way towards her. Their eyes were locked onto each other, and as her heart pounded in her chest he smiled. 

“Well, aren’t you a pretty thing?” He asked. He continued to inch his way closer to her, and though Regina knew she should run she couldn’t help but stay. He smelled really good, and she realized then just how hungry she was. He slowly reached around into his pocket and pulled out a piece of cured meat- something Regina would never eat in her human form, but it smelled so damned good! But her instincts were also telling her to run. She leaned her head in closer to smell the food cautiously- it didn't seem to be poisoned, from what she could tell. He was only a few feet away from her now, but instead of trying to close the gap between them he tossed the meat to her. It landed right in front of her, and for a moment she hesitated. Her eyes lingered on him, watching him closely. He did not try to step any closer to her, he just smiled and motioned for her to eat. Her eyes darted from him to the meat and back again, and when she felt it was safe enough she bent down and began to eat the delicious food. As she chewed she heard the sound of a bowstring being pulled, and she looked up to find him pointing an arrow at her. It was then that she glanced around her, seeing other men- hunters- stepping out from behind the trees. One of the others, a large and boisterous imbecile, chuckled loudly as he approached.

“You did it, Charles! I didn’t think that would work!” He shouted, hurting Regina’s sensitive ears. She saw that he carried a hunting knife, one that appeared to be freshly sharpened. Charles, his eyes still locked onto Regina, replied.

“Edgar, why would you doubt me?” Charles replied, somewhat annoyed by Edgar. Edgar nudged him with his elbow, making Charles’ jaw clench. Regina’s heart was racing as she heard the other men, three that she saw, make their way towards them. Her mind began to feel muddled, and she shook her head to try and clear it. They had drugged her! Why did she eat that food?! She felt so dizzy, but she couldn’t let herself fall asleep. She had to stay awake and fight. Edgar stared at Regina, and especially the ribbon on her arm.

“It is her-the fox with the ribbon! I can’t believe we caught her so easily! He made it sound like she was going to be impossible to trap.” Edgar remarked. 

'Who the hell would’ve- Rumple, you son of a bitch!' She looked at the two morons and let out a huff of annoyance.

“Fools! I am your Queen!” She shouted, but they only heard the cries of a fox. She remembered then what Rumple told her before. They weren’t going to understand her. They were all around her now, and she spun around clumsily on her paws trying to find any way out. She tried to duck underneath one of them, but he stopped her from getting through. They were all whistling or calling to her in some way as they closed in. They were trying to confuse and disorient her more, but she wasn’t going to let them. She snarled at Edgar and charged him, biting him on the arm as hard as she could. He cried as her teeth pierced his skin, and she could taste the tinge of blood in her mouth. Edgar dropped his knife and toppled backwards with a thud, Regina landing on top of him. He grabbed at her and shoved her hard, making her let go. She fell off to the side and quickly picked herself up. Her vision was getting blurry, and she knew she had to get as far away as she could before she would collapse from whatever they had given her. She sprinted away, not daring to look back. She could hear Edgar shouting, and the rush of air as an arrow flew towards her. She was able to move, but not enough. The arrow pierced her arm and she yelped, falling to the ground. 

The arrow was lodged deep into her arm, and every time she moved it sent a jolt of pain through her. She heard them approaching her, and she blinked hard to force her eyes to stay open. She knew this was the end- she didn’t know what they would do to her, but she knew they weren’t going to let her live. She watched as they all circled around her, panting and sweaty. Edgar glared down at her, carrying his knife with the other hand. He knelt down and pulled the ribbon off her arm, then shoved it in his pocket. He gripped the knife and was about to drive it into her heart when one of the other men groaned. Regina heard him fall to the ground, and before the other men had time to react, another one fell. Regina strained to look, but she couldn’t move because of the drug. She could only listen to them as they fought an unknown enemy. She watched Edgar out of the corner of her eye as he begrudgingly left her behind to fight their attacker. He apparently didn’t think they were much of a threat, because he chuckled when he saw them standing there.

“You? You really think you’ll be able to take me down, sweetie?” He asked condescendingly. Regina heard the fight that ensued- an extensive hand-to-hand battle that ended with Edgar laying on his back, staring up at the champion. 

“Don’t call me ‘sweetie’.” A voice replied, then with a swift punch they knocked Edgar out cold. Regina’s blood boiled as her savior stepped closer. She recognized the voice, but she thought perhaps that in her delerium she had imagined it. But when she knelt down, Regina saw Snow White’s face above her as she examined her wound. She wanted to jump up and tackle her, claw her, bite her, anything, but she was frozen. Snow pulled the arrow out of her arm and she yelped. 

“It’s okay, I won’t hurt you.” Snow said comfortingly. 

‘But I want to hurt you.’ She winced as Snow wrapped some cloth around her arm. Snow picked her up and began to run, holding her close.

“We have to get away from here- it’s not safe.” She whispered. Regina was so tired- she felt weightless; as though she would float away if Snow hadn’t been holding onto her. She put Regina up on her horse and climbed on, riding away just as Edgar and the others were beginning to wake up. Regina whimpered as her eyes fluttered. Snow cooed her as they raced through the forest. 

“Shh, it’s okay. I’ll take care of you. You’re going to be okay.” She said. Regina wanted to laugh, but she couldn't stay awake any longer.


	7. A Fairy's Help

“But what would Rumple want with the Blue Fairy’s wand?” Snow asked. They had all gathered together in her kitchen, away from any prying eyes that could be watching. Regina shrugged as she paced the floor.

“I have no idea. He could use it for just about anything.” Regina answered, running her fingers through her hair. “If I don’t steal the wand I’m out of their little gang, and we’ll have no idea what they’re planning. But if I do steal it then I have to risk handing it over to Rumple and those other psychopaths to do god knows what with it.” Regina sighed in frustration, and Snow stepped around from the other side of the island counter. She put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down, and though she normally hated being touched by anyone without giving them permission, she knew Snow wasn’t going to hurt her. She was a friend now, and she, just like David, were going to help her.

“It’s okay Regina, we’ll figure this out.” She responded. Regina nodded, then gently shrugged away from her touch. While she understood the intention behind it, she wasn’t very comfortable with people touching her, even in comfort. She gave Snow a small smile, and then quickly glanced around the room.

“Where’s Emma?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. Snow and David looked at each other, then to her.

“I don’t know- she was just out here a minute ago.” Snow said, and as soon as she said that they heard a crash come from upstairs. They all rushed up the stairs and to the source of the noise- Henry’s bedroom. Regina got to his door first, and when she opened it she nearly screamed. Henry was kneeling on the floor, trying to pick up the pieces of his monitor that was now scattered everywhere.

“Henry, are you alright?” She asked, rushing to his side. He nodded as she looked him over for any marks or scratches.

“I’m fine, mom.” He replied. Once she determined that for herself, she looked at the pieces of the monitor in his hands and on the floor.

“What the hell happened up here?” She asked. Henry knelt by his bed and looked underneath as he replied.

“I was looking online for any legends about dogs. I was trying to see if there was another way to save mom. She was sitting in my lap while I was researching, and she even started to bark when she saw something I should look at. I had to go to the bathroom, so I put her in the chair and I told her I’d be right back. When I came back, she was on top of the desk playing with the chords for the monitor. I tried to catch it, but by the time I got to my desk, it was already hitting the floor. I’m sorry, mom.”

“It’s okay Henry, it’s not your fault.” She responded, making sure to remember this incident. Emma would be paying her back for that monitor.

“Where is she now?” David asked.

“She ran under my bed when it fell- I guess the noise scared her.” Henry replied. He was trying really hard to coax her out, but she just whimpered.

“This isn’t good.” Regina said.

“What? What’s not good- what’s happening?” Snow asked.

“Emma doesn’t remember she’s human. Now, this could pass on its own, but I don’t know.”

“What can we do?” Henry asked.

“We can try to get her to remember- call her by her name. Play a song she likes, something. It might work.” Regina replied. They all began to call her by the names they used for her. Snow called out ‘Emma, sweetheart’, while Henry called out ‘Ma’, and David and Regina just called her by her name. Henry grabbed his phone and played “Only You”, thinking that it would trigger memories of her and Neal, but still nothing. Regina huffed in frustration.

“This is getting us nowhere. Miss Swan, come out of there now!” She shouted in anger. Slowly, Emma’s soft little head poked out from underneath Henry’s bed. They were all surprised that worked, but thankful that it did. Snow picked her up and carried her downstairs as the others followed her.

“I can call Blue- she’ll be able to help us.” Snow said, setting Emma down on the kitchen floor. Regina scoffed.

“I don’t think she’s going to want anything to do with me. As far as this whole town is concerned, I’m still the Evil Queen.” Regina said, shaking her head. Henry went to his mother and wrapped an arm around her.

“Not the whole town.” He answered, and she gave him a smile as she wrapped her arm around him in return. She looked up at Snow, who was waiting on Regina to call. Regina nodded her approval, and Snow dialed the number.

* * * * * * * *  
Blue appeared in Regina’s house as soon as Snow had hung up the phone. She was wary of Regina but decided to listen to what she had to say. Regina told her about their plan of pretending to still be a villain to try and find out their next move. She told Blue that they wanted to steal her wand as a test of her loyalty, and that they want her to steal it soon. Blue thought about the options they had, and the consequences they may hold. She sighed and nodded, deciding to trust Regina (at least for now.) 

“What can we do?” Snow asked, looking to Blue. Blue glanced up at her, and then to the others.

“Could you try to convince them to let you steal something else?” Blue asked. Regina shook her head.

“Rumple won’t take anything else. They want the wand.” She replied. Blue nodded again, staring at the marble countertop. After a moment she looked up.

“There might be a way for you to steal the wand without actually stealing it.” Blue said, a smirk playing on her lips. Regina scoffed as she raised an eyebrow.

“I think all the fairy dust has affected your brain.” Regina said. Blue continued, ignoring her comment.

“The fairies and I can create a replica of my wand out of pine- it’ll be exactly like the original.”

“Except that it won’t work! As soon as Rumple picks up the fake he’ll know that there’s no magic in it.” Regina answered. Blue thought for another moment, then nodded in approval of her own idea.

“We can imbue the fake with fairy dust- it would have just enough to give off a faint trace of magic; possibly enough for a test spell.” Blue said. Everyone nodded. It seemed to be the best plan-well, the only plan. Blue glanced at them all as she continued.

“It’ll take us a few days to recreate it; just try to hold them off until then.” She replied. Regina nodded, giving her a small smile of thanks. Henry cleared his throat, calling their attention to him.

“Blue, do you think you can do anything to help my mom?” He asked, stepping forward. He picked up Emma and carried her over to Blue, who was gasping in shock. Blue stared at the puppy, who was staring up at her with large eyes. She gaped at the others as she shrugged.

“This a powerful transformation spell. How did this happen?”

“She spilled it when she and I were trying to create a banishing spell, and I have no idea how to reverse it.” Regina answered. Blue nodded, thinking. She sighed softly, glancing down at the floor before looking back up at them.

“I don’t know if there’s a way to reverse this, besides true love’s kiss. Have you tried bringing her to Hook?” Emma began to growl and bark at the mention of his name, making Blue jump. Henry and Regina were finally able to calm her down before Regina replied.

“I don’t think that he’s her true love.” Regina answered rather sharply. Blue shrugged.

“Besides that, I’m not sure if there’s much that can be done. But I’ll try to find something. In the meantime, try to keep her from acting like a dog as much as possible. If we can limit her animal behavior, then we might be able to buy some more time.” Blue said. They thanked her and she left in a cloud of blue smoke. They all stood there for a moment before Henry spoke.

“What do we do now?” He asked.

“Now, we wait.” Regina answered.


	8. A New Adventure

Regina’s head was spinning, and she could barely see anything around her. She squinted her eyes as she tried to look around, but the room was too dim. As her vision began to clear she could make out shapes around her- a chair, a table, logs of what she assumed were wood. She realized that she must be in a cottage of some sort. A wonderful scent caught her nose, and she inhaled the smell deeply. It smelled like some sort of savory meat pie. She licked her lips as a pang of hunger hit her. She heard the crackling of a fire come from behind her, and she turned her head towards the sound. Standing in front of the fireplace was Snow, her long tresses falling around her shoulders as she stirred a pot. She was humming a song as she worked to prepare her meal. Regina growled as she tried to push herself up on shaky paws. It came out sounding more like a groan than anything else. Snow turned towards Regina and came to her side, gently trying to get her to lay back down. Regina growled a bit more forcefully this time, trying to snap her teeth at Snow’s fingers. Snow pulled her back away just in time.

“”I told you, I’m not going to hurt you.” She said calmly. “Please, let me check your wound.” She looked into Regina’s eyes, and Regina felt too weak from her ordeal to try and resist her help, let alone try to kill her. She huffed and let Snow tend to her wound, ignoring the annoying little tune that she hummed. For the most part Snow was very gentle, and except for when she was tying the bandage back on, Regina didn’t feel a thing. Once Snow was done she stood, dusting off her trousers and walking back toward the fireplace. “There now, doesn’t that feel better?” She asked. Regina sat up and stood, and while her shoulder still hurt, it was bearable. She was even able to walk on it with some of her weight. The wooden floor was old and in need of repairs- there were several places that it creaked, and one piece of wood in particular popped up the moment she put any weight on it. Regina pulled her paw away, allowing the board to go back down. Snow caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and grabbed something quickly. Regina snarled, expecting Snow to pull out a dagger. Instead, she had a bowl in her hand. Regina cocked her head to side in confusion.

“Here you go, I saved you all the best pieces.” She said as she set the bowl on the ground. When Regina saw (and smelled) the contents of the bowl she almost got sick. It was everything Snow had cleaned from the animal she was now cooking for dinner. It was diced, but Regina could still tell what some of the organs were. Regina stared at the bowl, and then looked up at Snow. Snow stood there waiting for her to eat it, nodding as though that would make the bowl’s contents more palatable. Regina shook her head and walked away, leaving the bowl untouched. Snow stared at the fox in utter confusion- she was sure that she would enjoy those pieces of meat. Snow followed behind Regina, who was laying back down exactly where she was before. 

“Are you alright, girl?” She asked. Regina shook her head again and looked away from Snow. Her stupidity was too much to deal with, especially right now when she was tired and hungry. 

“That’s a yummy bowl of food. Don’t you want to eat it?” She asked. Regina gave her a snide look.

'If it’s so yummy, then why don’t you eat it?' Regina stood and went to the fireplace. As she expected, Snow followed behind her. She ran her paw through the ashes on the floor until she had written one word: NO

Snow stood there for a moment in shock. She blinked to make sure she wasn’t imagining what she saw. When the word remained she knelt down and looked Regina in the eye. 

“You’re not really a fox, are you?” Snow asked. Regina shook her head. Snow stood and smiled, walking over to the bowl of innards and picking it up.

“No wonder you don’t want this!” She said. She stepped outside and threw it away, tossing it into the forest for another animal to eat. She came back inside and wiped her hands clean. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t realize sooner. I had no idea you were really a human. Are you able to change at will?” She asked. Regina shook her head. 

“Then you must be under some sort of spell. Do you know who might have done this to you?” She asked. Regina shook her head no- even if she did want to tell Snow that it had been Rumplestiltskin (and herself), there wasn’t enough ash on the floor to write it. She lied and shook her head no, making Snow give her a sympathetic look.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find a way to reverse this spell- I promise.” Snow said. Regina wanted to scoff- as if her promise meant anything. Had that been so, then she wouldn’t be here right now. Her stomach grumbled loudly, and she gulped hard to try and ignore the hunger that was growing larger by the second. Snow stood up quickly, making Regina flinch. She was becoming more cautious and aware of her surroundings- her animal instincts were slowly getting stronger. 

“Oh, you’re starving!” She said. She went to the other side of the small kitchen and grabbed something off of the counter and set it down in front of Regina- it was a lovely cream pie. 

“I was saving this for dessert, but the stew still has a while to cook before it can be eaten.” Snow said. Regina sniffed the pie- it smelled wonderful. It made her stomach grumble even louder. But after the last time she was hesitant to trust food. She knew it wasn’t like Snow to randomly poison a fox, but she was still weary. Snow studied her for a moment before she said anything.

“It’s alright, there’s nothing in it except cream, sugar and a crust.” Snow said. She then broke off a small piece of the crust on the side and used it to scrape some cream away. She ate it and licked her fingers, smiling at her.

“See,” Snow said, “it’s okay.” Regina sniffed the pie again and slowly licked the cream at the very top. It was delicious- even better than most of the slop that her servants in her castle called ‘dessert’. She paused for a moment to see if she would begin to feel strange. Nothing happened, and she began to devour the pie eagerly. Snow smiled, patting her on the head as she ate. Regina normally would have beheaded someone for even looking at her the wrong way let alone touching her, but she somewhat enjoyed the feeling. It felt good, especially when Snow’s hand brushed against her ear as she pulled her hand away. It felt almost comforting. 

Snow left her to eat the pie as she went into another room. She had just about finished the pie and was licking the dish clean when she heard booming laughter from the cottage door. The dwarves came in- all of them. They were laughing and talking amongst themselves, having returned from another day’s work in the mines. Regina’s head snapped up to look at them, and they all froze when they saw her. 

“Rabies!” Doc shouted as he pointed at her. Regina cocked her head to the side. Seriously?

“I told Snow this fox was going to be trouble!” Grumpy replied. He raised his pickaxe and made himself look larger, grunting and sneering to try and look intimidating to the fox. He knew that would often scare animals away. Regina did in fact feel afraid, but she held her ground. Grumpy and the others charged forward, looking like miners entering a battle armed with what they had. Snow heard the commotion and came running from the other room.

“Stop!” She shouted, stepping in front of Regina. Grumpy and the others halted their advance.

“But Snow, that thing’s got rabies!” He said. Snow shook her head.

“No she doesn’t. She just finished eating the cream pie I made.” She answered, bending down and picking up the pan for proof. “See, look. You can still see a little bit of the cream.” Grumpy looked over Snow’s shoulder at the fox, who almost seemed to giving him a sassy look. He glanced from the fox to Snow, and by this time Regina had cleaned most of the cream off of her own face with her paw and her tongue. She licked the back of her paw and ran it over her face, then realized that she was acting too much like a fox. If she kept allowing her animal instincts to get the better of her, she would get stuck this way forever! She stopped mid lick and put her paw down. She straightened her shoulders and sat there regally (well, as regally as a fox can sit). Snow set the pan down near the wash basin as she continued to explain.

“She isn’t really a fox. She’s a human- someone cast a spell to turn into this, and I’ve promised her that I’ll help her to find a way to reverse the spell.” Grumpy and the others looked at each other and they began to disperse to other parts of the house. Grumpy gave Regina a passing glare and put his pickaxe away. Her eyes never left him until he was in the other room and out of sight. Snow bent down to Regina and wiped away the last remnants of the cream off of her face with a damp cloth. Regina flinched away at first, but stopped. She knew that Snow was just helping, so she allowed it.

“Sorry about them. They’re really very nice; they were just trying to protect me.” She said. She stood and washed the cloth out in the basin as Regina went to lay down. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a bright red little something in an open box on the table. She looked closer and saw that it was a piece of ribbon. My ribbon! I have to get it back! She shouted for Snow to come over there, but all Snow heard was her chittering. She went to Regina and asked her what was wrong. Regina hopped onto the chair, then paused for a moment as a sharp pain shot through her arm. She then made herself hop onto the table and picked up the ribbon with her teeth. She handed it to Snow, who stared at it for a moment with confusion. Then she realized what the fox was trying to tell her.

“One of the hunters in the forest yesterday had a gold ribbon in his pocket. Was that your ribbon?” She asked. Regina nodded. Snow put the ribbon back in Sneezy’s sewing kit and went back to Regina’s side. 

“And this ribbon, will it help you turn back into a human?” Regina nodded again. Snow gave one quick nod and smiled.

“Well then, I guess we’ll have to go get it back.” She replied. “But we have to hurry- I think that ribbon was made from real gold. If he hasn’t sold it by now, he will very soon. We have to find him before he does.” She went to her part of the cottage and grabbed some essentials- her dagger, her bow and arrow, some food for the trip, a pouch of gold coins, and her cloak. She then went into the other room and told the dwarves everything she had just learned, and that she was going to leave with the fox. Grumpy offered to help (not because he cared about the fox, but because he cared about Snow.) She kindly turned him down, saying that this trip would be faster if it were just the two of them. She said her goodbyes and left with Regina, headed for the closest place to trade- a sea port about a day’s journey on foot. The sun outside was hanging low in the sky- it was late in the afternoon and before long it would be dark. Regina knew it wasn’t safe to go out this late, but she also knew that without that ribbon she would soon become a real fox. Snow looked down at Regina and the bandage on her shoulder with a look of concern. 

“Are you sure you can make this journey?” She asked, and Regina nodded. She would do whatever it took- she’d crawl the whole way if she had to. Snow nodded and they set off along the path, Snow trying to keep a slower pace for her injured friend. Regina limped, but she managed to keep up with Snow, counting the seconds until she got her ribbon back and could continue with her plan. They had been walking for a long time before Snow finally broke the silence. 

“So, what do I call you? I can’t just say ‘hey lady’ whenever I need to get your attention.” She asked, and Regina froze. She wanted to make up a name, but for some reason nothing came to mind. She stared up at Snow, unsure of what to do. Snow’s eyes lit up as an idea sprang forward. “That’s actually not too bad- Lady. Can I call you that, at least until I know your real name?” She asked. Regina thought it was awful and idiotic- no surprise that it came from Snow. But as she couldn’t think of anything better, she nodded. Snow smiled.

“Lady it is, then. Alright Lady, let’s get moving. We still have quite a way to go before we can make camp for the night.” They walked on as the sun began to sink below the horizon, the warm glow of sunset casting its rays of orange light over everything around them. Regina could see the beauty in the forest, and she remembered as a little girl how much she loved to sneak away and play beneath the trees for hours (until her mother would send a servant to bring her back inside.) They stopped just as the sun’s light was about to disappear completely and made camp within the trees, away from the path. Snow made a small fire and they sat there together, eating cured meat and listening to the sounds of the forest around them. By the time the moon had fully risen they were ready to turn in. Regina fell asleep for a time, but woke up after a lot tossing and turning. She just couldn’t sleep. She glanced over at Snow, who was resting peacefully, and trotted out onto the path. She wanted to see the sky with all of its beautiful stars. The castle’s lights were too bright, and they would always wash out most of the stars. The last time she saw the night sky in all its glory was before Daniel died. They had gone for a midnight ride together and they ate a picnic under the stars. She wanted that feeling again. She looked up at the sky and was in awe- the moon was so big and bright, and thousands of stars dusted the dark and cloudless sky. It was so beautiful, and Regina wished she could hold onto this moment forever. She thought of Daniel’s kind face, and the way he could make her smile. Her heart twinged with loss, and she felt a tear roll off her cheek. She wondered if he was up there among the stars, looking down on her. She eventually felt tired enough to go back to sleep, so she trotted back to her spot near Snow and nestled in for the night. All she could dream about was Daniel.


	9. A Visit from Maleficent

It had been two days since they had come up with their plan, and Regina still could not find a thing to help Emma. Each day they started to notice more and more instances of Emma exhibiting canine behavior, and they were all getting worried. Regina knew that Emma’s time was running out, but so far there was nothing that could be done. 

Regina tended to her garden, hoping that the tranquility of nature would help to ease her nerves. Emma paced the garden as Regina watered the plants, her tiny little paws stomping against the soft grass. Regina smirked at Emma and her little pace, chuckling inwardly. A cloud of smoke appeared next to Regina, making her jump. Maleficent materialized next her and Regina looked up, setting down her watering can and dusting off her hands.

“It’s nice to see you on your knees again, Regina. It reminds of some rather fun times we had together.” Maleficent smirked, and Regina could feel her cheeks flush. She smiled in return.

“I wasn’t always the one on my knees, if you’ll remember correctly.” She responded. Mal looked Regina up and down with those blue eyes that could hypnotize her. She pursed her lips and raised her brow.

“I think you’ll need to refresh my memory.” Mal said. Regina stood up, dusting off her knees and giving Mal a coy smile. Suddenly Emma began to bark and growl from the other side of the garden, and they both turned toward the sound. Emma was standing in her most intimidating stance (at least, that’s what Regina assumed was Emma’s intention). Unfortunately as puppy, nothing you do can be seen as intimidating at all. 

“What’s with the mongrel?” Mal asked, eliciting a small growl from Emma. 

“Henry promised to watch it for a friend of his, but now that he’s gone off with the idiots I’m stuck with it. The damn thing has already tried to ruin my flower bed-twice.” Regina replied, pretending to be annoyed. She glared at Emma, who caught on quickly to what Regina was doing. She began to hop and play like a real puppy, thinking to herself just how embarrassing this all was. Regina wondered for a moment if she was acting, or if her canine instincts just so happened to kick in at the right time. Mal walked toward the puppy and knelt in front of it. Emma barked loudly in her face, making Mal smirk at the animal’s brazen behavior. 

“You’re a brave little thing, I’ll give you that.” Mal said, extending her hand. She went to pet Emma’s head, but Emma snapped her teeth at her hand. Mal flinched and pulled her hand away, Emma’s teeth barely missing her fingers. Mal stared at her hand to make sure the filthy thing hadn’t in fact broken the skin, the whole time Emma barking. Mal watched the puppy with curiosity. When she touched the puppy she had felt a spark, a faint trace of magic radiating from it. She knew there was more to this animal than Regina was letting on. Regina went to Mal’s side and helped her stand, checking her hand.

“I’m so sorry Mal, are you alright?” She asked. Mal nodded, glancing over at the pup. Regina looked over as well, giving Emma a glare.

“You irritating little furball! Do anything like that again and I’ll make you into a pair of slippers!” She shouted, and Emma whimpered before laying down on the grass. She knew Regina was pretending, but it was still scary.

“I promise, Mal, that will never happen again.”

“It’s fine, Regina. But as much I wish we could reminisce, we have to get going.” She replied. Regina wished she could stall her somehow, but something told her that seduction wouldn’t work this time. She nodded, going to pick up Emma.

“Alright, but give me a minute to lock this thing up in the garage. I’m not about to come home to paw prints on the carpet and chew marks on my furniture.” Regina transported the two of them inside and set Emma down. She rushed to the fridge and scribbled a quick note to the others about their whereabouts, hoping that would keep them from worrying too much. Then she grabbed her purse and began to put Emma inside. Emma whimpered- it was too dark and cramped in there, but Regina shushed her.

“Emma I know you don’t like it, but trust me. Just stay calm and keep absolutely quiet. With any luck, we’ll finally learn what they’re planning.” She said. Emma gave her a quick nod and stopped protesting. Regina finished getting Emma inside and transported them both back outside to Mal. Mal saw the purse on Regina’s shoulder and chuckled.

“A purse. Really, Regina?” She asked with a smirk. Regina shrugged.

“In a land without magic you have to bring everything you need with you. I’m still so used to having one that I hate to go anywhere without it.” Regina responded. Mal rolled her eyes playfully and they disappeared in a cloud of smoke.


	10. Old Memories Brought to Light

Snow and Regina had been walking for the better part of a day, but they still had quite a way to go before they would reach port. Snow was talking (as usual), and the very sound of her voice was setting Regina’s teeth on edge. She had no choice but to listen as Snow prattled on about the dwarves, and her prince charming, and the people who needed her help against the wrath of the Queen. Regina scoffed quietly. Snow would know true wrath in just a day or so, once Regina had her ribbon back. 

“But it’s not Regina’s fault that she is this way- it’s mine.” Snow finished. Regina stopped in her tracks, staring up at Snow. Snow looked at her and nodded.

“It’s true. I’m the one who caused all of this. She made me promise to do something for her, and I wasn’t able to. Because of me her true love died, and her mother forced her to marry my father.” Snow paused, and Regina could see tears forming in her eyes. She cocked her head to the side- Regina always thought that Snow believed her and Leopold had chosen to marry one another. She had no idea that Snow knew the truth. Snow sighed, continuing.

“He didn’t love her. I thought he did, in the beginning. But then I started to notice the marks on Regina’s arms and neck. The servants would often use small spells to heal them before anyone of importance could see, but I knew they were there- under her corset or her sleeves. Many times when Regina wasn’t in the room he would say terrible things about her. I tried to make him stop, but he always dismissed me. He never cared about her, not really. He just wanted to rule over this land.” She said, then she sighed, shaking her head.

“I just wish I had been brave enough to do something to help her. I wish I could say that I tried to stop him. Maybe if I had, things wouldn't be the way they are between us. Maybe she wouldn’t be the Evil Queen.” She finished, wiping a stray tear away with the back of her hand. Regina stared at her in shock- part of her was furious that Snow knew what was really happening and did nothing to help. But another, louder part of her understood what Snow felt. She knew the manipulation of an abusive parent, and while (as far as she knew) Snow was never abused herself, Regina knew that she was probably afraid of her father. She saw Snow in a different light, and in that moment she didn’t want revenge. She wanted love. She wanted a family that she could hold and cherish and make memories with. She sniffed, trying not to show her emotion. Before Snow could continue, they heard a strange sound coming from around the bend in the path. It was the sound of wheels. Over the bend came a small cart with a single horse pulling it. The cart was old and had clearly seen better days, but it seemed sturdy enough for two more riders. Snow ran to it, Regina following closely behind. The old man slowed and stopped when he saw her, pulling on the reins of his old horse. 

“Good morning m’lady. Where are you off to?” The old man asked with a kind smile. Snow smiled in return. 

“My friend and I are headed for Sailor’s Cove. Can you take us there?” She asked. The old man stared at Regina for a moment, then shook his head.

“I’ll let you ride, but I won’t take that.” He answered, pointing to Regina. 

“Lady? She’s harmless.” Snow replied with a smile. Regina nodded.

“I won’t have nothing to do with it. I have my reasons.” The man barked, and Snow noticed then that he had ghastly scars on his arms and his neck. It looked like the last time he’d encountered a fox, he’d nearly lost his life. Snow understood, but they needed to get to that port soon. She nodded.

“I can understand why you'd be afraid of foxes-”

“It’s not just foxes- I don’t trust any wild beasts. Especially ones with big teeth.” He said, cutting Snow off. Snow nodded again, and placed a hand on his.

“I’m sorry about what happened to you, but I promise you that this one is different. She will not hurt you. Please, we really need your help.” The old man stroked his beard as he glanced at the two of them. He finally sighed and relented, pointing towards the back of his cart.

“Alright fine, but keep it back there and far away from me.” He grumbled. Snow thanked him, and she and Regina climbed up into the back of the cart. Once they were settled, the cart was on its way toward Sailor’s Cove. It wouldn’t be much longer until Regina would have her revenge. But now she wondered if she even wanted it anymore.


	11. A Change of Plans

Regina and Mal appeared in the cabin, and Regina was surprised to find that they were the only ones there. Regina glanced around the small room, finding not a trace of anyone. 

“Where is everyone?” She asked, but Mal shook her head. 

“I’m not sure. I remember Rumple saying he had something to attend to, but I assumed he was going alone. I’m sure they’ll be back soon.” She replied. Regina nodded. Before another word could be spoken, Mal closed the gap between them and cupped Regina’s face in her hands. She kissed her longingly- slow at first, and then with a ravenous intensity. Regina let out a passionate sigh as Mal broke their lips apart and began to kiss down Regina’s neck. Her kiss was full of heat and desire- it burned Regina up inside and made her legs quiver. Their lips met again, and as they kissed Mal’s hands began to travel over Regina’s body. Mal leaned and whispered into Regina’s ear.

“You’re making my mouth water,” Mal purred, “but we can’t stay much longer. It’s time we go steal that wand.” Regina felt her body tense- she knew that the fake wasn’t going to be ready for at least another day. She gulped, trying to find the right words.

“Shouldn’t we at least wait until the others get back?” Regina asked. Mal shook her head.

“Rumple is really doubting your loyalty. Just think of how surprised he’d be if he came back to the cabin and we already have the wand waiting. He’d know you’re committed for sure.” Mal responded. Regina nodded- there was no going back now. Regina’s phone rang, startling them both. She was thankful for the call, and when she looked down at the screen she was surprised to see Henry’s picture. 

“I’m sorry Mal; it’s Henry. I have to take this or he might suspect something.” She said. Mal nodded and told her to hurry as she watched Regina walk away. Regina excused herself into the bedroom as she answered the phone. The signal was weak, and she could barely hear Henry over the hiss of the static.

“Henry, what’s wrong? Is everyone alright?” She asked. 

“We’re fine mom- I called because of the note you left in the kitchen. What’s happening?” He asked.

“Henry, it’s alright. I can’t explain right now, but you just have to trust me, okay?” Regina replied as cryptically as possible in case Mal was listening on the other side of the door. Henry sighed.

“Okay.” He replied.   
“I’ll be home as soon as I can- I promise. I love you.” 

“I love you too, mom. Be careful.” He replied, and the call ended. Regina sighed and took her purse off of her shoulder. She opened the top and as soon as she did, Emma poked her head out to look at the room around them.

“Emma, I don’t think this is such a great idea anymore. I’m going to send you home to Henry.” Regina whispered. Regina started to wave her hand, but Emma whimpered and pushed Regina’s hand away. 

“Emma, don’t argue with me! You’re going home!” Regina whispered angrily. Emma shook her head no, letting out a small huff. Regina rolled her eyes.

“Look, we don’t have time to argue! If you want to stay then fine. Wait until we leave and look around for anything that might tell us what their plan is. But if you see or hear anything I want you to hide- I don’t care if you think it’s nothing. If you hear something, you find a place to hide and you stay there. Do you understand me?” Regina asked. Emma nodded, her soft ears flopping around. Regina picked her up and put her under the bed. 

“Wait here until you hear us leave.” Regina said before putting the covers back down. She stood and dusted herself off, then grabbed her purse. She opened the door and went back out to Mal, who was standing by the window. She set her purse on the table, then wrapped her arm around Mal in an embrace. Mal noticed her the purse on the table and scoffed.

“I thought you hated going anywhere without your purse?” Mal asked. Regina smirked coyly. 

“There’s nothing in there that I’ll need to get that wand.” She replied, making a fireball in her hand. Mal smiled, enjoying the glint in Regina’s eyes. They transported themselves to the nunnery, and as soon as she was sure it was safe, Emma crawled out from under the bed and began to look around.

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

Regina and Mal appeared outside the nunnery doors. There was a powerful protection spell in place, but with their combined magic it wasn’t long before the spell was falling apart. Mal threw open the doors with a burst of wind and they walked in together, their gaze menacing to any who passed before them. Regina could see the fear in the fairies’ eyes, and she felt a pang of guilt in her chest. There was a time when she would’ve enjoyed seeing their panic at her presence, but now it only reminded her of all the awful things she’s done. She wished she could tell them the truth, but she couldn’t. She had to play along and be The Evil Queen once again. The fairies began to rush them, trying to stop whatever diabolical plan they needed the wand for. Regina and Mal fought them off together. Regina was gentle- she would make them fall asleep first, and then toss them aside to prevent an injury as much as possible. Maleficent on the other hand was more violent. She sent some flying to the other side of the room, while others she simply snapped their necks. Once their numbers were diminished they went deeper into the nunnery where the wand was stored.

They threw open the door, making Blue and the other fairy jump. They had finished replicating the wand, but they had yet to imbue it with the fairy dust. For now it was simply a hunk of wood. Blue’s eyes widened at the sight of them. The other fairy charged Mal, throwing up giant pink sparks at her. Mal turned and dodged the attack, then retaliated with her own. They fought each other, throwing fireballs and magic at each other until Mal had the fairy by the throat. Blue looked at Mal and then Regina, trying to think of something.

“No Regina, you can’t do this!” She shouted. Regina glanced over to Mal, who was waiting eagerly for her to continue. 

“I’d like to see you stop us.” She replied with her coldest smile, but her eyes said something else. Mal’s fairy broke free and they began to fight once again, no longer watching Regina and Blue. Regina whispered an apology to Blue, and she nodded in understanding.

“It’s okay.” Blue replied softly. Regina gulped hard and threw her against the wall, knocking her out cold. She grabbed the fake and went to Mal’s side, wishing things could have been different. Mal had the other fairy by the throat and was choking her with her magic. The fairy coughed and gasped for breath, struggling to break free. 

“Mal, come on let’s go.” Regina said, putting her hand on Mal’s arm. Mal looked at her and then back to the fairy. She hesitated, but finally gave in. She released the fairy and she crumbled to her knees, gasping for air as the two of them disappeared with the fake wand. 

They arrived back at the cabin, and they were surprised to find the others already back and waiting for them. Rumple stood and walked up to Regina, staring at her.

“Where the hell have you all been?” Mal asked, putting a hand on her hip. Regina could tell right away that something wasn’t right- she could see it in his eyes. 

“We’re much more interested in knowing where you’ve been.” He replied, his eyes never once leaving Regina. He was searching her face for any sign of weakness. Regina smirked haughtily as she held up the wand for the others to see. She expected Cruella not to be very welcoming of her into their group, but not even Ursula looked impressed. 

“Well done, Regina. It seems you were able to do it after all.” Rumple said, but his tone was anything but proud. He took the wand from her and looked it over carefully, then snapped it in two with his hands.  
“What the hell, Rumple! Do you have any idea how many bugs we had to squash to get that?” Mal said, angry. He glanced at Regina and then Mal, looking as though he were trying to figure out a great scheme. He turned on his heels and paced to the other side of the cabin, speaking over his shoulder.

“Regina, what did you say you were doing with the ingredients we found in your purse the other day?” He asked, turning around to face her once he reached the fireplace. He leaned on his cane, waiting for her response. 

“I told you I was creating a banishing spell to get rid of Snow and Charming and Miss Swan.” Regina said. Rumple nodded.

“And with this type of spell, don’t you need things that belong to the people you want to banish in order for it to work?” He asked. Regina nodded.

“If that’s the case, then what were these doing next to all of the other ingredients?” He asked as Cruella dumped a small pouch onto the table for all of them to see. Inside were: a beautifully preserved sea star, a brooch in the shape of a puppy paw, a pressed handkerchief embroidered with a golden ‘R’, and a small baby’s rattle in the shape of a dragon’s hand. Regina paled when she saw the objects tumbling onto the table, and she knew there was no way for her to lie. She glared at Rumple. 

“How did you get into my vault?” She asked with a sneer. Rumple smirked.

“You protected your vault with blood magic, making it impossible for anyone to get in unless they are related to you, or you invite them in.” He replied, then conjured up Henry’s backpack and held it up for her to see.

“I knew you wouldn’t keep Henry away.” He said, tossing the backpack onto the floor. Regina looked down at the backpack, but then a small movement caught her eyes. Emma was underneath one of the dining chairs, playing with the small tassel that was hanging down from the seat cushion- right underneath Cruella. 

“Emma, stop!” Regina shouted without thinking. As soon as the words left her lips, she gasped, realizing what she just did. They all looked to the source of her attention and saw the puppy on the floor. Cruella chuckled at the growls and barks that were coming from such a tiny little thing underneath her. Rumple stepped closer and examined her, his eyes running over the puppy with an amused look. Emma tried to tuck herself farther underneath the seat, but Cruella moved the chair away completely- now there was nowhere for her to hide.

“Well that would explain the strong scent of myrtle in her vault.” He said. 

“And the broken bottle on the floor.” Cruella replied. Ursula bent down and picked Emma up, making her bark and yowl.

“Don’t you touch her!” Regina shouted. Regina rushed forward to Ursula, ready to attack. Cruella grabbed the fireplace shovel off the base and swung, hitting Regina hard. She fell to the ground as Emma whimpered

“Was that really necessary?” Rumple asked annoyed. Cruella shrugged as she tossed the shovel down.

“Well, it felt bloody good anyway.” She replied. She and Mal quickly tied Regina to one of the kitchen chairs with some rope. With that done, Rumple pulled a small vial out of his pocket. He looked up at Cruella, who was watching his movements closely. 

“Our plans may have changed, but the outcome will be the same. Don’t forget what we’re after.” He said. Cruella raised an eyebrow. 

“Trust me darling, I know what to do.” She replied. 

Ursula brought Emma forward and Rumple poured the contents of the small vial on her fur. She groaned in pain as Ursula set her down on the floor, her body morphing into something awful. Her bones stretched and grew as her fur became silky and thick. The others stood back as they watched her change into a snarling wolf that barely fit inside the cabin. Emma’s head was brushing the roof, and her eyes were focused on them. She growled, and this time the sound was much more unsettling. Cruella snapped her fingers, focusing Emma’s gaze upon her. Cruella stared into her eyes and slowly Emma began to bow her head until it was eye level with Cruella. She smirked, but Ursula still had her doubts.

“You will be able to control her, right?” She asked. Cruella nodded as she stepped closer to Emma. She put a hand on top of her head and ran her fingers through her fur, smiling wickedly. 

“Now, she’ll do anything we want.”


	12. A Less than Peaceful Cart Ride

The cart ride was certainly faster than walking had been, and after about an hour Regina could smell the ocean- she knew they were getting close. Her eyes studied the foliage that surrounded them as her mind wandered, mostly to her past. Her mind recalled the last few years of her life- the horrible days she endured with Leopold. Suddenly she felt a hand on the back of her head and she flinched, a particularly painful memory flashing in her mind. A firm hand, the crash of glass, an overturned table, cuts in her hands. She whipped her head around and found Snow instead, her hand held far away.

“I’m sorry Lady- I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just instinctive for me to pet an animal-it’s comforting. But I won’t do it if you don’t want me to.” She said. Regina stared at her for moment, then decided to let Snow pet her. She leaned her head toward Snow, and instantly her hand was on Regina’s head. Snow was right- it was very comforting, and Regina melted into the touch as Snow began to pet from the top of her head down to her mid back. Then Snow began to scratch behind her ears, and Regina was in heaven. Her eyes fluttered closed as she enjoyed the wonderful feeling. She leaned into every pet, each one just as wonderful as the last. 

She heard that annoying giggle she knew all too well, and her eyes snapped open to find Rumple. He was crouched down, balancing on the very edge of the cart on the balls of his feet. He grinned connivingly at her, and Regina growled. Snow flinched, removing her hand from Regina’s head.

“Looks like you two are getting along.” Rumple said. Regina glanced at Snow, who was just staring at her in return. She remembered then that Snow (or anyone else, for that matter) would not be able to see or hear him unless he wanted them to. She turned back to Rumple and glared.

“Why are you here?” She demanded. He shrugged.

“I wanted to see how your plan for revenge was coming along. I was worried that you wouldn’t be able to do it.”

“Really? If that’s the case then why did you send those hunters after me?” She asked. 

“Lady, what’s wrong?” Snow asked. Regina let out a huff through her nose, telling Snow to be quiet. Snow got the message and she left Regina alone. Regina turned her attention back to Rumple.

“To lure Snow out of the shadows. Tell me, do you think you really would’ve been able to find her out here on your own?” He asked. Regina huffed again as he continued. “I saved you quite a bit of time you would’ve otherwise wasted sniffing the forest floor.”

“And you made me lose the ribbon! Those imbeciles you sent after me took it off of me before Snow stopped them. Now I could be stuck this way forever if I don’t get it back!” Regina yelled, stamping her paw down in anger. Rumple giggled.

“Calm down dearie- I wouldn’t want you to go barking mad.” He said.

“Really? You’re making jokes now?” She fumed, her lips curling into a sneer. Rumple laughed even harder. “If I don’t get that ribbon you had better find a way to change me back!” She shouted. 

“There is no other way- except by true love’s kiss. So I recommend you find that ribbon.” Rumple said, leaning in close to her. Then he raised his eyebrows and looked at her with amusement in his eyes. 

“Oh, this will be fun.” He said, then he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. As the plumes of his magic faded Regina saw movement from behind the trees. Suddenly there was shouting and banging as bandits attacked the cart. Snow jumped down from the cart as it came to a sudden stop, firing her bow before Regina could even see her wield it. The bow struck the first man in the shoulder, and he dropped his tattered sword as he fell to his knees. Another man came at Snow and swung his heavy axe, aiming for her head. Snow ducked just in time, and the axe crashed into the side of the cart, lodged in the splintered wood. As he struggled to free his weapon, Snow seized her chance. She grabbed his head and shoved it forward, slamming it into the hard wooden cart. The man spun on his feet clumsily, blood dripping from his nose. He charged Snow, but she ducked and rolled away from his advance. He tripped over his feet and fell to the ground hard. She picked herself up and rushed him, rolling him over onto his back. She punched him hard across the face, knocking him out cold. 

As Snow fought off those men, Regina heard the old man shout. She stood on her hind legs and peered over the top of the cart. She saw Charles, the hunter who gave her the laced meat, holding a dagger to the old man’s throat. 

“Just give us your money, and we’ll leave you alone.” He said. The old man begged for Charles’ sympathy.

“Please, I don’t have much. What little I have I need for my wife.” He pleaded.

“Times are hard on all of us! We need that money just as much as you do, and we’ll take it however we can.” Charles responded, pressing the dagger to the old man’s throat. Regina snarled, getting their attention. They both flinched and covered their faces as Regina hopped over the top of the cart. She collided with Charles, sending them both crashing into the horse and then the ground. The horse whinnied and stamped its hooves as they fell next to it, Regina landing next to him. Charles reached for his dagger, but Regina knocked it away. Snow left the two other men where they were and came to Regina’s side, looking down at Charles. When he saw Snow’s face he paled, remembering the severe beating she had given him just two days before. Snow smirked at the sight of him, his left eye still swollen and bruised from her fist. Snow knelt down, keeping a knee on his chest so that he couldn’t try to jump up and rush them. She pulled the dagger off her belt and held it to his throat. 

“Where’s the ribbon?” She questioned. He gulped, glancing down at the blade against his neck.

“What ribbon?” He asked, raising his eyebrows. 

“The one that you and your men took from my friend the other day.” Snow replied, pointing to Regina. Charles scoffed.

“Really, this mongrel is your friend?” He said, chuckling. Regina stepped forward, putting a paw on his chest and leaning close to his face. 

“I wouldn’t make her angry it I were you. She has quite the temper- I just don’t know what she’ll do to you.” Snow replied with a raised brow, hoping Regina would play along. But Regina really didn’t need any prompting from Snow- she was angry. She growled in her throat and bared her teeth as she leaned in so close to Charles that he could see the tiny features of her face and snout. He gulped as he felt her hot breath against his face. He raised his hands slowly to show his defeat, and Regina backed away (but not by much). 

“Alright fine. Edgar has the ribbon- we were supposed to sell it for a tidy profit and share the money, but he ran off before any of us could stop him.”

“Where is he now?” Snow asked. 

“My guess is Sailor’s Cove- that’s his home away from home. The bastard is no doubt hiding there at the bottom of a bottle.” Charles responded. Snow nodded and pulled her dagger away from his throat. She released Charles, allowing him to stand. He dusted himself off and glanced between her and Regina. Regina let out a small growl to remind him who was the one with the power. 

“Thank you, now go. And don’t attack another traveller, otherwise we’ll be coming back for you.” Snow said. Charles looked at her, his shoulders falling.

“I don’t want to live this way, but things have gotten so hard ever since the Queen raised our taxes. I can barely provide for my family anymore.” Snow gave him a look of understanding.

“How did you provide for your family, Charles?” Snow asked.

“I used to be a farmer, but with the terrible drought and the higher taxes I couldn’t raise a crop to sell. We lost our farm- now I’m just trying to keep my family fed.” He responded, and they could see by the sorrowful look in his eyes that he was telling the truth. Snow pulled the pouch of coins from her belt and handed it to Charles. He opened the bag and poured the contents into his hand. When he looked back up at Snow there were tears in his eyes.

“Thank you, thank you so much.” He said, his voice cracking. Snow smiled, glancing down at Regina.

“We’re happy to do it. Just promise us you won’t do anything like this again.” She replied.

“Never again, I swear it.” He answered. Charles walked back into the expanse of trees, heading for home with his hope restored. Snow looked down at Regina.

“See, Lady? Good can be found in anyone. Moments like this give me hope that one day the Queen will find it in her heart to be good again.” She said. Regina looked up at Snow, and while that sentence normally would have Regina rolling her eyes at its idiotic faith, she seemed to find some truth in it now. Snow and Regina went to the old man to make sure he was alright. He had a few little bumps and scrapes, but he was fine. He thanked them both for protecting him, and after that he seemed rather fond of Regina. They climbed back onto the cart and continued forward to Sailor’s Cove, but now part of Regina hoped that they wouldn’t find the ribbon.


	13. Confessions

Regina woke up to the throbbing of her head, and she wondered just how many times this week she was going to wake up to a pounding headache. She realized quickly that her arms and legs were tied down to the arms and legs of the chair, fastened tightly by a thick rope. 

“Glad to see you aren’t dead after all.” Mal said, her voice monotone. Regina leaned closer and saw Mal seated near her in one of the other wooden chairs, legs crossed and eyes narrowed. Regina ran her eyes over Mal’s body.

“So am I. Now that we’re alone we can finally do some catching up.” Regina said, raising her brows. She hoped that if she could get Mal close enough she could do something to disorient her. She didn’t really know what she could do after that, but it was a start at least. Mal shot up out of her seat and charged Regina, their faces just inches away from each other.

“Damn it, Regina! Why did you lie to me? Why are you helping them? I remember when I first met you- you were a naive, foolish young girl who was still trying to learn how to make a fireball. You were so full of rage- of hate. Why did you change?” Mal asked, her eyes almost pleading. Regina’s eyes were welling up at all the memories Maleficent had brought back to her.

“My son,” Regina replied, her voice cracking, “I changed for my son. Because I didn’t want him to hate me for the person I was. I didn’t want him to grow up and live the rest of his life, and not be there to see it.” Regina answered, the first hot tear rolling down her cheek. Mal looked away, staring out the window longingly. 

“Having a child changes everything.” She said cryptically, and Regina realized then that there a part of Mal that she had never shared with her. Regina blinked hard, trying to fight back the new tears that were forming.

“How long ago?” Regina asked, and Mal glanced over to Regina, and then back out the window. She wiped her eye and shook her head.

“Too long. I lost my daughter because of that self-righteous Snow White and her bumbling oaf of a husband. They took the one thing that I cared about in the whole world. They cast her away and still have the gaul to say I’m the evil one.” Maleficent said, her face forlorn. Then her hands turned into fists as she clenched her jaw.

“I’m going to show them all just how evil I can be.” Mal said, her anger welling up inside of her. She turned and looked at Regina, her eyes wild. “And as for you, I’m not about to let you go anywhere.”

“Mal, please let’s just have a drink and talk about this.” Regina said in an attempt to reason with her. Mal shook her head.

“I’m not going to let you seduce me again- I have too much that I still need to do.” Mal leaned in close and made a dagger appear in her hand. She pressed the blade to Regina’s throat, ready to finish the job. “Goodbye, Regina.” She said. Just as she was about to kill her, Blue appeared in the middle of the cabin. Maleficent flinched at the presence of the intruder, pulling the blade away from Regina’s throat.“What the hell are you doing here?” She asked. Before Maleficent could react, Regina threw herself forward, head-butting Maleficent. Regina winced in pain as Maleficent fell to the floor unconscious. Blue came to Regina’s side and began to undo the restraints. With her arms free, Regina helped Blue untie her legs. 

“Blue, how did you know where to find me?” Regina asked as they worked at the last knot. Regina stood and brushed herself off, adjusting her skirt to sit properly.

“You lost this when you and Mal were attacking the nunnery.” Blue replied, holding out one of Regina’s earrings.

“I’m glad you came by when you did.” Regina said, glancing over at Mal on the floor. She waved her hand and and made the ropes she had been bound with wrap themselves around Maleficent’s wrists and ankles. She looked back at Blue and saw the cuts on her face from before. Regina sighed. “Blue, I’m sorry. I tried to stall her, but she insisted we go today. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“It’s alright, Regina, I’m fine. The others, however. . . Maleficent wasn't as kind. We know you did what you had to do. But right now we need to go.” Blue replied as she grabbed Regina’s hand.

“What’s going on?” Regina asked. She could see the worried look in Blue’s eyes.

“It’s Emma. Rumple and the others turned her into this giant wolf. And now Cruella has control over her- she’s making her destroy Storybrooke.” She replied. Regina’s mouth hung open in shock. She gulped.

“What about the others? Do you know where Rumple and Ursula went?” Regina asked. Blue shook her head. This wasn’t good- it was bad enough that Cruella had Emma destroying the town, but now it appeared that this whole thing was just a diversion while they went to do whatever they wanted unnoticed. Rumple had a plan, and it was happening now.

“Where are Cruella and Emma now?” Regina asked. 

“The last I saw they were about to attack main street.”


	14. Edgar

It was early afternoon by the time Snow and Regina reached Sailor’s Cove. They climbed off the cart and thanked the old man, and as he left they began to look around. The port was bustling with life- merchants of all different goods were calling to everyone that passed, hoping to entice them into buying. Sailors laughed and sang as they drank their pints, beguiling others with the exaggerated tales of their heroism. Regina and Snow walked purposefully, seeking out the man they were searching so desperately for. They stepped into the pub and instantly began to search the crowd for him. It wasn’t long before they found him in the corner, drinking the last of his current pint. They walked through the crowd toward him, and as they got closer they could smell the alcohol strongly on him. He was beginning to fall asleep as they approached, but Snow cleared her throat. 

“Edgar.” She said, making him jump slightly. His head bobbed as his eyes snapped open, and as he turned his head toward the source of the voice he chuckled.

“Well look who it is. Come back to finish me off, have you?” He said. Snow leaned in closer.

“Only if you don’t give back that ribbon.” She replied. He raised an eyebrow, and when he spoke, his hot, foul breath his Snow right in the face. 

“What’s it to you?” He asked. He slurred his words as he shook his head to try and stay awake. 

“That ribbon belongs to my friend, and if you don’t give it back then I’ll just have to give you another black eye to match that one.” She replied. Edgar raised a callused hand to the bruise on his face and glared at her.

“I don’t have it anymore. I sold it.” He said, sneering. Snow pulled out her dagger and held it to his chin.

“I hope for your sake that you’re lying.” She replied. She glanced over to Regina, and Edgar took that chance to strike. He slapped her dagger away and stood, his chair flying out from underneath him. He swung his large fist, but Snow dodged the attack. She struck him hard in the gut, making Edgar double over as he clutched his stomach. Snow then grabbed him by the shoulders and drove her knee into his chest, making Edgar heave for breath. He fell to the ground, a gasping and sputtering mess. She knelt down next to him and searched his pockets, and she found the ribbon in the pocket of his tattered coat. She held it close to his face and smirked.

“Look what I found. I guess you hadn’t sold it after all.” She said. She stood and left Edgar on the floor as the onlookers watched her and Regina leave the pub. They walked over to a few barrels and crates, sitting down on them. Snow grinned at her.   
“We did it, Lady! We got your ribbon back!” She said. Regina was thrilled- she was going to be human again. But was that what she wanted anymore? Snow tied the ribbon around Regina’s arm and she waited, expecting a fantastic transformation. When nothing happened, Snow cocked her head to the side.

“That’s odd. Isn’t the ribbon supposed to change you back?” Snow asked. Regina glanced at the ribbon on her arm, then shrugged. 

“I’m sorry Lady. I’m sure there’s another way-don’t worry.” Snow replied. She then pushed herself off the barrel she had been sitting on and knelt down in front of Regina.

“You know Lady, despite everything that’s happened, I think we’ve had a lot of fun. I understand if you want to go your own way, but I just wanted you to know that you’re welcome in our home any time you like.” Snow said, and she gave Regina a rather sad smile The adventure was over, and she was sad to see her go. Regina leaned in pressed her forehead to Snow’s, giving her a small hug. Snow smiled at her and stood, waving goodbye. They walked away from each other, but Regina knew in her heart that she should turn around. By the time she reached the other side of the town square she was already thinking of how nice her life could be. She turned and sprinted to Snow, who turned in just enough time to see her friend come charging up next to her. Snow smiled warmly at her. 

“Are you sure you want to come with me?” Snow asked, and Regina nodded eagerly. “Alright then Lady, let’s go home.” 

* * * * * * * * * *

By the next night Snow and Regina were back at the cabin, sitting around a large table with the dwarves. Snow told them the story of their adventure, and they all laughed and cheered at certain parts (like the part where Snow and Regina fought Charles and his men). They ate and drank, celebrating into the late hours of the evening. Finally one by one they began to turn in, until the only ones left awake were Snow, Grumpy, and Regina. Grumpy yawned and stretched his back, then stood from the table. 

“Goodnight Snow.” He said, then turned to Regina.

“Goodnight Lady. I’m uh- well, I’m sorry for being so rude to you the other day.” He said, and Regina could see his cheeks starting to turn red. Regina nudged his hand with her head, letting him know that all was forgiven. He smiled and said goodnight, then headed up the stairs. Then he stopped in his tracks and turned back to face them.

“I can’t believe we forgot to show you!” Grumpy exclaimed. He was less than half way up the steps before he trotted back down. 

“Lady, c’mon. We made something for you.” He said excitedly. Regina glanced between him and Snow, and followed behind him when he dashed off to the other side of the cottage. Off to one side of the room near the fireplace was a little wooden bed- the perfect size for her.

“We all worked on it to make sure you had it when you got back. I know you’re really human and all, but we thought that you might like it until you could be human again.” He said. Regina dashed over, looking at the bed in delight. It wasn’t the four post, royal bed she was accustomed to- she loved it so much more. She rubbed her head against Grumpy’s legs and he laughed. 

“I take it you like the bed?” He asked with a smile. Regina hopped in the bed eagerly and nestled herself in, already beginning to feel the pull of exhaustion. Grumpy wished them good night once again and went upstairs, retiring to his own bed. Snow leaned down and helped to tuck Regina in beneath a small blanket.

“Goodnight Lady. We had one exciting adventure, didn’t we?” She said. Regina nodded, and Snow smirked.

“I hope to learn your real name someday.” She said. Snow wrapped her arms around Regina and gave her a hug, and Regina leaned into the embrace. As Snow let go and excused herself for bed, Regina found herself wishing Snow would stay. She sat there wondering what her life would be if she didn’t go back to her castle. Regina stayed awake until she was sure the others had all fallen asleep, and when she was sure they were, she climbed out of bed and carefully walked across the creaky old floor. Because of her light paws, the floor did not creak nearly as much as when one of the others walked across, but it still made enough noise to possibly wake Snow. Regina listened carefully for any sound of someone stirring, but when all remained quiet she went to work. She found the loose floorboard she had discovered the other day and stepped on it, opening it wide. She then grabbed an end of the ribbon in her mouth and pulled it, untying it from her arm. She dropped the ribbon in the opening and dropped the board back into place, and as she went back to bed she discovered she felt free without it. She didn’t want to be a human anymore. Sure she would miss some things about being human, but she had so much more now than she ever did before. She had friends and a family, and if keeping them meant that she had to become a full-fledged fox, then so be it. She went to sleep quickly, hoping that when she woke up the next morning she wouldn't remember any of her time as a human at all.

* * * * * * * * * *  
The first thing she remembered was the smell of smoke. It was faint at first, but then the smell began to worsen. It became so strong that Regina couldn’t bear it any longer. She opened her eyes and blinked, squinting to see in the dim light. She looked up at the ceiling and saw smoke coming down in thick plumes. The roof was on fire! Regina shot up out of her bed and glanced all around, seeing the flames beginning to burn through in different places. She heard a chuckle come from outside, and when she looked out the window she saw Edgar standing outside holding a flickering torch. He stayed a moment longer to watch, then dropped the torch and ran off into the trees. She growled in her throat, but realized that she didn’t have time now to try and chase him down- they needed to get out, now. Regina ran to Snow’s bed and hopped onto it, pawing at her pillow to jostle her awake. She whimpered and yipped, trying to wake her up. Snow rolled over and muttered for her to go away, lazily waving a hand to get her to leave. Regina grabbed her sleeve by the teeth and began to tug, making her start to sit up.

“Lady, come on. Please go to bed and let me sleep.” Snow said as she yawned, falling back down against her pillow. Regina let out a huff through her nose and did it again, and this time Snow woke up a little more.

“Lady, just go back to-” Snow started, but stopped and gasped. She saw the smoke that now surrounded them, swirling about. The flames were growing larger, and they could feel the heat on their faces as it began to spread. Grumpy cam rushing down the stairs just then.

“Everyone! Everyone get out! The house is on fire!” He shouted. Everyone was rushing around in a wild panic to get out as the fire continued to spread. They all went rushing to the front door, but Snow couldn’t get it open. 

“It’s blocked!” She shouted as she jostled the handle. Grumpy and the others started to throw themselves against the door, and after the fifth go they managed to break it open. They all began to leave, and most of them were out when Sneezy began to look around.

“Where’s Sleepy?” He asked, but they all knew the answer. Regina ran back inside the house and up the stairs, finding Sleepy still in his bed. She tried to wake him the same way she woke Snow, but nothing seemed to work. Snow bounded up the stairs and to their side. She sat Sleepy up and got him conscious enough to stand, and with her help he walked down the stairs. 

The house was beginning to crumble around them, pieces of the walls and ceiling falling in charred heaps. Regina followed closely behind them, afraid that if she didn’t stay too close she would lose sight of them in the smoke. Sleepy began to open his eyes and look around, but he still had no idea what was happening. They were almost out- Regina could see the soft early morning light coming from the open doorway even through the thick smoke that burned their lungs. Regina heard a loud crack from above, but she didn’t have time to move. A support beam gave way and fell, bringing with it a large section of the flaming roof. Regina was knocked back and out of the way, and she shook her head as she tried to regain her balance. The doorway was completely blocked off- her only means of escape gone. The windows were blackened from the smoke, so she couldn’t even see outside. She was trapped. Her heart raced as she searched for any sign of the others. 

“Snow! Snow, please!” Regina shouted over the crackling flames. She prayed Snow could hear her- she had to hear her. She waited for a sound or a voice, but there was none. Another piece of the ceiling collapsed, and Regina jumped out of the way just in time. The crumbling debris crashed on the ground where she had just been. She started to panic, spinning on her heels in a desperate search for a way out. 

“Snow please, I’m still in here! Help me!” She cried out, her throat burning from the smoke. She coughed and heaved as she tried to breathe. 

“Snow!” She called out again, but there was still no answer. 

“She’s not going to save you. She doesn’t care about you.” A voice said, and she turned to find Rumple standing among the flames. 

“What the hell are you doing here?!” She shouted. He simply shrugged, a sly grin forming on his lips. 

“I'm here to see if you managed to kill Snow White. But, judging by the look of things, I'd say you failed. Again.” He replied, glancing around the burning cottage. Regina coughed, trying to breathe against the thick smoke. 

“Things have changed- I don't want to kill her anymore. I want us to be a family. A real family.” Regina said with hope in her eyes. Rumple chuckled. 

“Is that so? Then tell me Regina, if you two really are on such good terms, why hasn't she come in here to save you?” Rumple asked. Regina stammered, trying to find an explanation. 

“S-she probably got hit by that beam. She must be hurt, and that's why she can't hear me!” She concluded. Rumple scoffed. 

“Do you honestly believe that?” He asked. Regina nodded- that had to be the reason! Rumple smirked again. He waved his scaly hand, producing a swirling cloud of green smoke. “Here, look for yourself.” Regina looked into the smoke, and as it swirled it began to produce an image. As the image cleared she saw Snow hugging Grumpy, and the other dwarves surrounding them. As quickly as the image came it disappeared. Regina looked back to Rumple, still unsure of what she saw. What if he’s right? But she knew that couldn’t be true- Snow cared about her, didn’t she? Didn’t she say she wanted them all to be a family?

“Look around yourself, Regina. She knows you’re trapped here, and she’s not even trying to save you. She wants you to die, because she knows who you really are. She probably would have killed you in your sleep if you hadn’t discovered the fire. She doesn’t want you- nobody wants you. You’re the Evil Queen, and that’s who you’ll always be.” He said with a malicious sneer. She shook her head against those thoughts, but she couldn't stop them from clouding her judgment. He was right- Snow never wanted them to be a family again. She didn't really care about her. She never did. She seethed with a newfound rage, the fiery spark that he freshly ignited within her. That was it. There’s no other reason why Snow wouldn’t try to save a poor defenseless animal unless she already knew who she really was. Regina ran to the loose floorboard and stomped down hard, making it go flying out of the way. She grabbed the ribbon in her teeth and transformed back into her human form. She watched the flames licking up the walls, eating away at what remained of the house. She transported herself back to her castle, a new lust for revenge burning in her veins. Rumple appeared next to her at the balcony, a smile on his face. 

“Well, that was quite the adventure!” He said, leaning against the balcony. He turned and looked out over the forest, and far off near the horizon he could see the faint trails of smoke from the cottage. He pointed out towards the smoke and giggled. “Look, you can still see it from here!” He said, turning back toward her. Regina stared out over her kingdom as a tear rolled down her cheek. Her expression hardened, turning into a deathly glare. Rumple saw the change in her and smiled with satisfaction. 

“What are you going to do now?” He asked rhetorically. Regina looked down at her hand and the gold ribbon inside it. She curled her hand into a fist, burning the ribbon into ashes. 

“I'm going to burn them all.”

* * * * * * * * * *  
Grumpy and the others pulled Snow and Sleepy out of the house, putting out the parts of their clothes that were beginning to burn. After a few minutes the two of them began to wake up, and as Snow rubbed her sore neck she looked around them. 

“Where’s Lady?” She asked. Grumpy said nothing, avoiding her gaze. Snow pressed on, trying to get them to look at her. 

“Grumpy, where is she?” She asked more firmly, but Grumpy wouldn’t answer. He simply gave her a sorrowful look. Snow looked back at the cottage, gasping at the state of it. 

“I have to help her!” She said, beginning to stand. She rushed forward, but Grumpy held her back. She tried to break free from his grasp, but she was still too shaky from before. Her legs wobbled and her head spun. Grumpy turned Snow to face him and looked her straight in the eyes. 

“Snow stop! You can’t help her, she’s gone! There was nothing we could do!” He shouted. Snow’s chest heaved as the realization hit her. Deep down, when she saw the state of the cottage, she knew there was no hope. But that was what she always held on to- hope. She glanced back at the cottage, watching as the last of the support beams gave way and the house crumbled in on itself. Snow threw her arms around Grumpy and cried on his shoulder, her throat still burning from the smoke. 

“I should have saved her. I should have saved her.” She repeated. Grumpy held onto Snow as the others gathered around them. They stayed until long after the last of the fire went out, mourning the loss of a dear friend.


	15. The Most Powerful Magic of All

Blue and Regina appeared on the edge of Main Street, out of sight from Cruella. Already they could see the massive destruction she made Emma cause. Light poles were knocked down, parts of buildings had been left with gaping holes from a swipe of her giant paws. Cracks ran through parts of the street, and a few giant, paw-shaped pot holes were left behind. Regina peeked around the side of one of the damaged buildings to see them headed down the street towards the library. Then she noticed the truck parked in front of the library and gasped- it was David’s truck. Snow and David were trapped there against it, frozen in fear. Cruella was headed straight for them. 

“I have to do something!” Regina said, trying to jump out from behind the building. Blue grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back down. 

“Are you crazy? You can’t go charging in there with Cruella controlling her. She’ll make her rip you to shreds before you even get close.” Blue said, trying to talk some sense into her. Regina shook her head in frustration.

“Well I can’t just sit here and do nothing!” She responded. Before either of them could say another word they heard a low growl, and they peeked around the corner. 

 

“Emma, kill.” Cruella commanded, and Emma began to advance. Snow tried to speak to Emma, but she still pressed on, her ears bent and her back lowered, ready to strike. They saw Snow and David embrace, preparing for their death.

“I have to help them!” Regina said, standing. Blue tried to stop her again.

“No, Regina wait!” She said, but Regina was gone in a cloud of purple smoke.

* * * * * * * *

“Emma, kill.” Cruella said, a wicked gleam in her eyes. Cruella moved to give her a clear path to Snow and David, who were pinned against David’s truck. Emma growled as she approached, her eyes locked on them.

“Emma, sweetheart?” Snow said tentatively, trying to make her remember who she was, but Emma continued to advance. Her lip curled as she snarled, then she let out an ear piercing bark. Snow flinched at the sound, and a tear rolled down her face as she came to realize that her daughter was gone. She was no more than an animal now. She wrapped her arms around David and snapped her eyes shut as they held each other close for the last time.

“I love you, David.” Snow whispered. Her breath caught in her throat as she thought of Neal, and how little time they got to have with him. David squeezed her harder.

“I love you too.” He replied. They heard another growl and looked, seeing Emma towering above them. She snarled again, then lunged toward them with her teeth bared. Regina transported herself into the middle of it, standing between Emma and her parents.

“Emma stop!” Regina shouted, making Emma hault. Snow and David looked at Regina, confused but elated at her sudden presence. Emma cocked her head to one side, staring down at the small woman. 

“Emma, this isn’t you. Cruella is making you do this- she’s controlling you! You have to listen to me and just calm down.” Regina said slowly, her hands raised. Emma stared at her still, and Regina hoped that she could still understand what she was saying. Cruella rolled her eyes and groaned. 

“I don’t have time for this! Emma, kill them all- now!” Cruella commanded, and Emma quickly went back to it, Regina now being the first target. 

“Regina, get out of here! There’s no reason for you to die, too!” David shouted. Regina shook her head.

“No! I know she’s still in there!” Regina replied. Regina turned back to face Emma and looked her dead in the eye. 

“Emma!” Regina shouted, stomping her foot on the ground. Emma stopped once again, leaning her head down closer to Regina. Regina could feel the tremendous force of her breathing as Emma sniffed her over. Her nose was larger than the wheel of a car, and it was very wet against her face. Regina wiped away the condensation from Emma’s nose as she stared into those large blue eyes. She saw a trace of her there- a trace of the Emma she always knew. She spoke lower this time, shutting out everything but them. 

“Emma, please don’t do this. I know you- I know who you are and what you feel. You know that this is wrong- somewhere deep down inside of you, you know that. And I have to believe that you’re still in there somewhere because if you’re not then I lost the only chance I had left to tell you how much you really mean to me.” Regina said, her voice catching in her throat. For such a long time she hated Emma, and then slowly they developed a friendship. Soon Regina found herself looking forward to a phone call or a visit from her, even though she always pretended to be annoyed or indifferent. She had hoped that friendship would become something more, but she never said a word. Regina let the tears fall down her face, and Emma stared at her with fascination.

“What are you doing?! Kill them!” Cruella shouted angrily. Emma ignored her, continuing to stare at Regina. 

“I love you Emma- I always have.” She chuckled slightly, but there was no humor in it. “I sure had a funny way of showing it though.” Regina said and glanced down at her feet. Emma cocked her head to the other side, and Regina started to worry that she really was gone. Regina sighed, realizing that there was nothing else she could do. She turned and looked to Snow and David, who were crying too. Emma leaned her head down to Regina, nudging her softly with her nose. Regina turned around and put a gentle hand on Emma’s snout, running her hand along the fur up to the top of the head. She hugged Emma’s face, her snout alone longer than Regina’s body. They stayed there in that moment, Regina running her fingers through Emma’s fur. She wasn’t sure just how much of Emma was left anymore, but she had tried. She sighed again and closed her eyes tight, letting her tears fall onto Emma’s fur. 

“I love you, Emma.” She whispered. She kissed Emma’s forehead, and her body began to shake from her sobs. All was silent, and then a vibrant flash of light spread outwards from the kiss. Regina stepped back to find Emma beginning to change from her animal form back into a human. Regina smiled, her tears of sorrow becoming tears of joy. Cruella realized in that moment that she had lost, so she disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Likely back to the cabin, Regina guessed. She took off her jacket and wrapped it around Emma as she finished changing back, and when was fully human she looked at Regina coyly. 

“I was wondering when you were finally going to say something.” She said with a smirk. Regina laughed and threw her arms around Emma, giving her a slow and longing kiss. Snow and David ran up to them, throwing their arms around them and holding their family close. Snow pulled back and looked at them happily.

“I knew you two were meant for each other. Just wait until Henry finds out about this.” Snow said, a wide grin on her face. Regina rolled her eyes but laughed. She was just happy they were all together again. Emma shrugged.

“I think he had a feeling- I found some notes for new operations in his backpack a while ago. One of them was Operation Swan-Mills.” Regina laughed.

“Please- it’s Mills-Swan.” She replied.

“Really, you’re going to bicker over a technicality?” Emma remarked. Regina stared into her eyes, smiling at her happily. She ran a finger over Emma’s cheek, thankful to have her back.

“No. Swan-Mills it is.” She answered. They hugged, and Emma suddenly started to feel the freezing cold wind against her very bare skin. She shivered, and Regina wrapped her arms around her tighter. They climbed into the truck and headed for Regina’s, looking forward to the warmth of her fireplace (and very large heater). 

“I still don't understand something.” David said as he helped them all down out of the truck. Regina smirked. 

“What else is new?” Regina quipped, making Emma give her a swift nudge with her elbow. David smirked, and kept going.

“Why did Emma get turned into a dog in the first place? You said she had to be thinking about dogs when she spilled that potion, right?” He asked, and Regina nodded. Emma glanced between them before she spoke. 

“I wasn't thinking about dogs, necessarily.” She said, and Regina's interest was piqued.

“So then, what were you thinking about?” She asked. Emma glanced down at the ground, shrugging. 

“I was wondering if there was ever going to be more between us, or if it was just a puppy love.” She answered, and Regina felt her heart soar. As soon as they got inside they felt warmer, and Regina couldn't keep her eyes off of Emma- that beautiful, silly, wonderful woman. She went and grabbed Emma’s clothes from the other day, handing them over to her. Emma excused herself to get dressed, and while they all headed to the kitchen to have some hot chocolate, Snow grabbed Regina by the arm and pulled her back into the living room.

“Regina?” She said. Regina raised her brows.

“Snow, what is it?” She asked. Snow sighed, trying to find the words.

“You were the fox, weren’t you? You were Lady.” Snow said. Regina nodded. 

“Yes, I was.” She replied. Snow’s eyes began to fill with tears, and she gulped hard before she spoke.

“I didn’t mean to leave you in the cottage that morning. When the beam fell, Sleepy and I were knocked out. Grumpy and the others pulled us out of there, but he said it was too late for you. I should’ve-” 

“Snow, it’s okay. It’s in the past now.” Regina replied.

“No, it’s not. I should’ve gone in there for you. I should’ve tried.” Snow said, her voice wavering. Regina gave Snow a warm hug, and she marveled at how far they both had come since then. 

“It’s okay, Snow. We’re all together now- that’s what matters.” She said softly. She felt Snow nod, and they both headed towards the kitchen together. Henry had come downstairs and was standing next to David as he stirred the delicious cocoa in the pot. He saw Snow and Regina walking in and he went to them, excited.

“Grandpa said there was a lot of action today. So, what did I miss?”


	16. Her Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina is definitely a B-52s fan, and you can't convince me otherwise! I can totally see her in the 80's rocking out to them, Blondie, and The Clash. She's too perfect to not have at least one guilty pleasure, and I have a feeling it's punk music. Rock on, Regina!

It was hard to believe that a week had gone by since then, and they still hadn’t seen or heard anything from the villains. Regina and Emma knew they were going to strike again soon, but for now they were going to enjoy the calm before the storm. The Swan-Mills family sat together in Granny’s, Henry sitting next to Regina. 

“I'm so glad you guys are finally together- I thought I would have to set you up myself.” Henry said with the smirk. Emma glanced over to Regina, and then back to him. 

“I think we would've figured it out on our own, kid.” She said, and Regina chuckled. She grabbed Emma's hand and gave it a small squeeze, rubbing her thumb over the back of her hand. Ruby came over then, making them sit up and blush like teenagers. 

“Hey there.” Ruby said with a sly grin. Emma smirked. 

“Hey Ruby.” She replied. Ruby glanced between the two of them and leaned closer. 

“You don't have to hide your relationship. Everyone knew you guys were going to wind up together eventually. Or kill each other- y’know, typical love story.” She said with a wink. Ruby lowered the platter she'd been balancing on her shoulder and started to put a plate on the table. 

“Regina, your salad is coming in just a minute- Granny is finishing up the grilled chicken right now.” She said, and Regina nodded and thanked her. She handed Henry his plate of grilled cheese and fries. 

“Here ya go Henry. And for you..” Ruby said to Emma. She lowered the plate and giggled. On her plate was a pile of french fries and a grilled cheese, cut in the shape of a doggie bone. They all laughed, and Ruby excused herself to help some other customers. Henry and Emma started to eat, and as Emma poured some ketchup on her fries she looked up at Regina. 

“Regina, I got to ask you something. The ‘Deadbeat Club’, really?” She asked, and Regina blushed again. 

“What? It's a common enough saying.” She replied with a shrug. Emma quirked her brow. 

“You do remember my superpower, right?” She asked.

“To be painfully obnoxious?” Regina replied with a smirk. Emma rolled her eyes as she munched on a french fry. 

“Just admit it, Regina,” she said between chews, “you're a B-52s fan.” Regina started to open her mouth to lie, but Emma’s smug grin told her that any lie wouldn't work. She rolled her eyes and smiled, running her fingers through her hair. 

“Alright, I like them. So what?” She said with a shrug. 

“Nothing, I just figured you didn't listen to anything besides Chopin, or Bach, or something like that.” Emma replied as she ate another fry. Regina smirked, shaking her head. 

“The eighties had a lot of great bands! Besides, their music is still influential to pop culture today.” Regina said with a smile. Emma raised her hands and grinned. 

“Hey, I like them too! It just surprised me that you did, that's all.” Emma replied, then shrugged. “Kate Pierson is gorgeous, though.” She commented. Regina nodded.

“She is, but I prefer blondes.” Regina replied, giving Emma a wry smile. Emma gave her a cute grin and continued to eat her lunch. Regina sat back and watched her and Henry interacting. They laughed and joked, and ate one point Emma playfully threw a french fry at Henry, which he masterfully dodged. Regina beamed at them- she was so happy for all of this. She could never hope for anything more than this moment here. She finally had what she wanted all those years ago- a family.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Animal Calls [FANART]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15821454) by [DitchingNarnia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DitchingNarnia/pseuds/DitchingNarnia)




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